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Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly
TRIUMPHANT IN SUFFERING
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
"It is harder for me to overcome sorrow
and pain than to get the victory over doubt
and sin," said an honest Christian. In these
days of insecurity, trial, and sorrow, when
so many people are acutely aware of suf-
fering, we long to know God's answer to
our question, "Why ?"
It is not easy for the strongest Christian
to endure pain, loss of the dearest loved
one on earth, or to suffer humiliation and
defeat. Sometimes one may grow rebellious
and begin to doubt God's leading in his
life, saying, "God does not care what hap-
pens to me." But even when'the shadows
are darkest, his loving heavenly Father is
by his side.
Why do the good have to suffer? Why
did God test the patriarchs, such as Abra-
ham, Jacob, Job, and Moses? How may
I help my neighbor who in his hour of
sorrow is rebelling against God? How may
I prepare to stand in the time of "Jacob's
trouble" which shall come upon the rem-
nant church? These are questions we need
to have answered. It is the purpose of
these lessons to find the Bible answer for
many of the perplexing queries that retard
our spiritual growth.
To every individual, suffering must come.
Whether it makes him bitter and rebellious
or produces deeper consecration and more
spiritual wisdom, depends upon his attitude
in times of test. 'There is nothing more
wonderful than to see a sincere child of God
who, burdened by sorrow and almost
crushed by trials, still prays on, trusts on,
and knows that his Redeemer lives. "This
is the victory that overcomes the world,
our faith." 1 John 5:4, R.S.V.
The trusting child knows that his Father
will not allow him to suffer more than he
can endure. He knows that after the trial
will come the glorious triumph. "For our
light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory." 2 Cor. 4:17.
Lesson 1, for October 2, 1954
The Origin of Sin and Suffering
MEMORY VERSE:
"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and
through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through
the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."
Isa. 43:2.
STUDY HELP:
"Patriarchs and Prophets," pages 33-43, 67-70.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT
1.
General survey of the lesson.
5.
Ques. 9-12.
2.
Key Thoughts; Introduction;
6.
Ques. 13, 14; read Study Help.
Ques. 1, 2.
7.
Review the entire lesson; read the
3.
Ques. 3-5.
Suggestion for Meditation.
4.
Ques. 6-8.
[ 3 ]
Lesson Outline:
I.
Introduction: The Origin of Sin and
Suffering
II.
God's Perfect Plan
1.
God's perfect way. Ps. 18:30.
2.
God's perfect creation. Gen. 1:31.
Ill. Lucifer Mars God's Plan
1.
The origin of sin. 1 John 3:8.
2.
Lucifer's original nature. Ezek.
28:15.
3.
Evil traits in Lucifer. Isa. 14:13, 14.
IV. Sin Enters the World
1.
The original nature of man. Gen.
1:27.
2.
The basis of human happiness. Gen.
2:16, 17.
3.
The result of disobedience. Gen.
3:16, 17.
4.
The wages of sin. Rom. 5:12.
5.
The suffering of a sinful world.
Rom. 8:22, 23.
V. God and Human Suffering
1.
The cause of suffering and death.
Rom. 6:23.
2.
The spirit in which God chastens.
Deut. 8:5.
3.
Compassion in affliction. Lam. 3:
31-33.
4.
The promise of comfort and help.
Isa. 43:2.
Key Thoughts:
1.
The Power of Choice.
"From the
moment He [God] bestowed on man the
power of choice He had to permit man to
make those wrong choices which resulted
in pain and evil for the human race. So
pain and evil are here not because of any
inherent limitation in God's sovereignty or
defect in His goodness, but because of
man's willful and disastrous wrong choices."
-James W. Wilson, "The Conquest of
Pain,"
Religion in Life,
vol. 19, No. 2, p.
166.
2.
The Inheritance of Suffering.
"I
need not rack my soul with the torturing
thought that my illness and pain are my
fault. . . . We must beware lest by our
own folly or sin, we leave a legacy of pain
to those who follow later. God cannot pre-
vent the suffering of the innocent without
altering the whole basis of human life and
rearranging it on a plan which would be
far less good than the present one."-Leslie
D. Weatherhead,
The Mystery of Pain
(quoted in
Religion in Life,
vol. 19, No. 2,
pp. 169, 170).
THE LESSON
Introduction: The Origin of Sin
and Suffering
Since God is love, and the foundation of
His government is a law of love, why are
sorrow, pain, and tragedy the common lot
of humanity: In every age man has at-
tempted to find the answer to the "mystery
of suffering." The question is thrust upon
us with terrible urgency in these tension-
filled days when death comes suddenly and
terrors strike without warning.
It is impossible to understand the uni-
versal problem of sorrow and suffering
without a knowledge of His word and
faith in His divine plan. The Bible story
of how Adam and Eve disobeyed their
Maker and brought the dominion of sin
into the world is the only explanation of
suffering and death.
It is sin that brings all the suffering, the
tears, the agony of death. As long as we
live in a world under the curse, everyone
-good and bad-will feel the results of
sin. God may permit trial and suffering to
test His children, as He did Job; but it is
Satan who thrusts the evil and tragedy
upon man. Living in a world blighted by
sin, we can by faith see a loving God who
knows the meaning of suffering. We can
know "the comfort, of God," and this com-
fort will be our strength when we pass
through "the valley of the shadow."
God's Perfect Plan
1. What is one of the attributes of
God? Ps. 18:30.
[
4
1
2. As the earth came from the
hands of the Creator, what was its
condition? Gen. 1:31.
English translations "Lucifer"
is
used in
Isaiah 14:12; in other versions, "morning
star," "light bearer," or "shining star of
the dawn." In
Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 35, Isaiah 14:1-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-
15 are applied to Lucifer or Satan.
5. What evil traits later appeared
in Lucifer's character? Isa. 14:13, 14.
NOTE.—"Little by little, Lucifer came to
indulge the desire for self-exaltation. . . .
Though all his glory was from God, this
mighty angel came to regard it as pertain-
ing to himself. Not content with his posi-
tion, though honored above the heavenly
host, he ventured to covet homage due
alone to the Creator. Instead of seeking
to make God supreme in the affections and
allegiance of all created beings, it was his
endeavor to secure their service and loyalty
to
himself."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 35.
Sin Enters the World
NOTE.—"The creation was now complete.
. . . No taint of sin, or shadow of death,
marred the fair
creation."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
page 47.
Lucifer Mars God's Plan
3.
In whom did sin originate? 1
John 3:8.
NoTE.—"Sin originated in self-seeking.
Lucifer, the covering cherub, desired to be
first in heaven. He sought to gain control
of heavenly beings, to draw them away
from their Creator, and to win their hom-
age to himself."—The
Desire of Ages,
page 21.
4.
What was the nature of Lucifer
as God created him? Ezek. 28:15.
NOTE.—The historical characters "the
king of Tyrus" (Ezek. 28:12) and "the
king of Babylon" (Isa. 14:4) are used to
present the nature of Satan. In some
6.
In whose image did God create
man? Gen. 1:26, 27.
NoTE.—"Man was to bear God's image,
both in outward resemblance and in char-
acter. . . . His nature was in harmony
with the will of God. His mind was capa-
ble of comprehending divine things. His
affections were pure; his appetites and pas-
sions were under the control of reason. He
was holy and happy in bearing the image
of God, and in perfect obedience to His
will."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 45.
7.
Upon what was man's happiness
and his enjoyment of a perfect world
based? Gen. 2:16, 17.
NoTE.—"They could obey and live, or
disobey and perish. God had made them
the recipients of rich blessings; but should
they disregard His will, He who spared
not the angels that sinned, could not spare
them; transgression would forfeit His gifts,
and bring upon them misery and ruin."--
Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 53.
5
8.
When man disobeyed his Crea-
tor, what came to the world? Gen.
3:16, 17.
NoTE.—"Instead of the happy . labor
heretofore appointed them, anxiety and
toil were to be their lot. They would be
subject to disappointment, grief, and pain,
and finally to
death."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
page 59.
9.
In addition to sorrow and suf-
fering, what terrible fate befell man
as the result of sin? Rom. 5:12.
10.
How did Paul describe the suf-
fering of a sinful world? Rom. 8:
22, 23.
God and Human Suffering
11.
What is the cause of suffering
and death to the human race? Rom.
6:23.
NoTEs.—"Siekness, suffering, and death
are work of an antagonistic power. Satan
is the destroyer; God is the restorer."—
The Ministry ofHealing,
page 113.
"Satan represents God's law of love as a
law of selfishness. He declares that it is
impossible for us to obey its precepts. The
fall of our first parents, with all the woe
that has resulted, he charges upon the
Creator, leading men to look upon God as
the author of sin, and suffering, and death."
—The Desire of Ages,
page 24.
12.
In what spirit does God chasten
His children? Deut. 8:5.
13.
What is mixed with God's jus-
tice in meting out grief and affliction?
Lam. 3:31-33.
14.
In time of trial and sorrow,
what precious promise may the child
of God claim? Isa. 43:2.
Suggestion for Meditation
"Trials and obstacles are the Lord's
chosen methods of discipline and His ap-
pointed conditions of success. He who
reads the hearts of men knows their char-
acters better than they themselves know
them. He sees that some have powers and
susceptibilities which, rightly directed,
might be used in the advancement of His
work. In His providence He brings these
persons into different positions and varied
circumstances that they may discover in
their character the defects which have
been concealed from their own knowledge.
He gives them opportunity to correct these
defects, and to fit themselves for His serv-
ice. Often He permits the fires of affliction
to assail them that they may be purified."
—The Ministry of Healing,
page 471.
Lesson 2, for October 9, 1954
Men Who Endured Suffering
MEMORY VERSE:
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time
worthy to' be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
Rom.
8:18.
STUDY HELPS:
"Patriarchs and Prophets," pages 148-155; "The Great
versy," pages 616-621.
are not
in
us."
Contro-
1
6
]
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT
1.
General survey of the lesson.
2.
Key Thoughts; Introduction;
Ques.. 1-3.
3.
Ques. 4-6.
4.
Ques. 7-10.
5.
Ques. 11-13.
6.
Read Study Helps.
7.
Review the entire lesson; read the
Suggestion for Meditation.
Lesson Outline:
I. Introduction: Examples of Faith and
Patience
II. Abraham Endured Trials
1.
Sustained by faith. Heb. 11:17-19.
2.
Abraham's character. Gen. 22:12.
III. Jacob Faced Sorrow and Death
1.
The patriarch faced Esau. Gen.
32:7.
2.
Triumphant in time of crisis. Gen.
32:24-28.
3.
The time of "Jacob's trouble." Jer.
30:7.
IV. How Moses Was Sustained in Trial
1.
Faith in the eternal reward. Heb.
11 : 24-27.
2.
When faith weakened. Num.
20:7-11.
3.
The sin of unbelief. Num. 20:12.
4.
The final testimony of Moses. Deut.
33:27.
V. Paul's Suffering and Triumph
1.
Paul and Silas in prison. Acts
16:22-25.
2.
Rejoicing in infirmities. 2 Cor.
11:23-28; 12:10.
3.
Triumphant in persecution. Rom.
8:37.
4.
The ultimate good from suffering.
Rom. 5:3-5.
Key Thoughts:
1.
Abraham's Testing.
"There came
a moment in the life of Abraham, as there
may come to every man, when it must be
discovered whether he is willing to pay the
utmost price for what his conscience tells
him ought to be compelling. The faith of
the Bible is that God will so enter into and
identify Himself with human suffering that
it will become redeeming."-Walter R.
Bowie,
The Interpreter's Bible, vol.
1, p.
645.
2.
Jacob's Endurance.
"When a man -
is forced to wrestle with moral reality and
its consequences, he may try to get rid of
them as quickly as he can. But Jacob's
quality was otherwise. Caught in the grip
of judgment, his prevailing desire was not
for escape. He would hold on until some-
thing decisive happened. In punishment,
as in prosperity, he would not let the ex-
perience go until he had wrung a blessing
from it."-Walter R. Bowie,
The Interpre-
ter's Bible, vol. 1,
p. 724.
3.
The Sin of Moses.
"The position of
honor that Moses had heretofore occupied
did not lessen his guilt, but greatly magni-
fied it. Here was a man hitherto blameless,
now fallen. Many in a similar position
would reason that their sin would be over-
looked because of their long life of unwav-
ering fidelity. But no; it was a more se-
rious matter for a man who has been
honored of God to show weakness of
character in the exhibition of passion than
if he had occupied a less responsible
posi-
tion."-Testimonies,
vol. 4, p. 370.
4.
Paul's Need and God's Grace.
"In
Paul's case God's answer was the assurance
that His grace was sufficient for all his
need. . . . There are divine compensations
for every handicap in life. There are spir-
itual resources that can enable a man to
triumph over his defect, and even to win
something out
s
of it which was not possible
before."-James Reid,
The Interpreter's
Bible, vol.
10, p. 409.
[
7]
THE
Introduction: Examples of Faith
and Patience
Following the admonition of the apostle
James in the fifth chapter and tenth verse
of his epistle to "Take . . . the prophets,
who have spoken in the name of the Lord,
for an example of suffering affliction, and
of patience," we shall study in this lesson
the experiences of some of the patriarchs,
prophets, and apostles as examples of suf-
fering and patience.
"These examples of human steadfastnesS,
in the might of divine power, are a wit-
ness to the world of the faithfulness of
God's promises—of His abiding presence
and sustaining grace. As the world looks
upon these humble men, it cannot discern
their moral value with God. It is a work
of faith to calmly repose in God in the
darkest hour—however severely tried and
tempest-tossed, to feel that our Father is
at the
helm."—Testimonies,
vol. 4, p. 525.
Abraham Endured Trials
1.
What sustained Abraham when
he was faced with the greatest test of
his life? Heb. 11:17-19.
NOTE.—"Abraham obeyed God. He did
not consult his feelings, but with a noble
faith and confidence in God he prepared
for his journey. With a heart rent with
anguish he beheld the proud and loving
mother gazing with fond affection upon the
son of promise. But he led that loved
son away. Abraham suffered, yet he did
not let his will rise in rebellion against the
will of God. Duty, stern duty, controlled
him. He dared not consult his feelings or
yield to them for one moment."—Testi-
monies, vol.
1, p. 454.
2.
In this time of great trial and
suffering what was revealed concern-
ing Abrahm's character? Gen. 22:12.
NoTE.—"The trial was far more severe
than that which had been brought upon
LESSON
Adam. Compliance with the prohibition
laid upon our first parents involved no
suffering; but the command to Abraham
demanded the most agonizing sacrifice. All
heaven beheld with wonder and admira-
tion Abraham's unfaltering obedience. All
heaven applauded his
fidelity."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
page 155.
Jacob Faced Sorrow and Death
3.
What was Jacob's reaction when
he knew he must meet his vengeful
brother? Gen. 32:7.
4.
In the hour of crisis what ex-
perience changed the current of Ja-
cob's life? Gen. 32:24-28.
NoTE.—"While he was thus battling for
his life, the sense of his guilt pressed upon
his soul; his sins rose up before him, to
shut him out from God. But in his terri-
ble extremity he remembered God's prom-
ises, and his whole heart went out in
entreaty for His
mercy."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
page 197.
"When tribulation comes upon us, how
many of us are like Jacob ! We think it the
hand of an enemy; and in the darkness we
wrestle blindly until our strength is spent,
and we find no comfort or deliverance. To
Jacob the divine touch at
.
break of day
revealed the One with whom he had been
contending,—the Angel of the covenant;
and, weeping and helpless, he fell upon the
breast of Infinite Love, to receive the bless-
ing for which his soul longed. We also
need to learn that trials mean benefit, and
not to despise the chastening of the Lord,
nor faint when we are rebuked of Him."—
Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,
page 25.
5.
Of what is Jacob's trial a symbol
to the church of God? Jer. 30:7.
NOTE.—"Jacob's trouble" is the term
used to describe the testing and trial of
[8]
God's people in the final crisis. (See
The
Great Controversy,
page 616.)
"The season of distress and anguish be-
fore us will require a faith that can en-
dure weariness, delay, and hunger,—a faith
that will not faint, though severely. tried.
The period of probation is granted to all
to prepare for that time. Jacob prevailed
because he was persevering and determined.
His victory is an evidence of the power of
importunate prayer. All who will lay hold
of God's promises, as he did, and be as
earnest and persevering as he was, will
succeed as he succeeded. Those who are
unwilling to deny self, to agonize before
God, to pray long and earnestly for His
blessing, will not obtain it. Wrestling with
God—how few know what it
isl"—The
Great Controversy,
page 621.
How Moses Was Sustained
in Trial
6.
At the time when Moses decided
to "suffer affliction with the people
of God," what assurance upheld and
sustained him? Heb. 11:24-27.
NOTE. "Moses had been instructed in
regard to the final reward to be given to
the humble and obedient servants of God,
and worldly gain sank to its proper insig-
nificance in comparison. . . . He looked
beyond the gorgeous palace, beyond a mon-
arch's crown, to the high honors that will
be bestowed on the saints of the Most High
in a kingdom untainted by sin. He saw by
faith an imperishable crown that the King
of heaven would place on the brow of the
overcomer. This faith led him to turn
away from the lordly ones of earth, and
join the humble, poor, despised nation
that had chosen to obey God rather than
to serve
sin."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 246.
7.
In an hour of test how did Mo-
ses once show his lack of faith? Num.
20:7-11.
8.
What was the sin of Moses on
this occasion? Nurn. 20:12.
NOTE.—"Moses and Aaron had assumed
power that belongs only to God. . . .
Wearied with the continual murmuring
and rebellion of the people, Moses had lost
sight of his Almighty Helper, and without
the divine strength he had been left to mar
his record by an exhibition of human weak-
ness. The man who might have stood pure,
firm, and unselfish to the close of his work,
had been overcome at
last."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
page 418.
9.
Notwithstanding disappoint-
ment, what was the final testimony of
Moses? Deut. 33:27, first part.
NOTE.—"As Moses reviewed the result
of his labors, his life of trial and sacrifice
seemed to have been almost in vain. Yet
he did not regret the burdens he had
borne. He knew that his mission and work
were of God's own appointing."—Patri-
archs
and Prophets,
page 472.
Paul's Suffering and Triumph
10.
When enduring physical suf-
fering for the sake of the gospel, what
spirit did Paul and Silas manifest?
Acts 16:22-25.
HWM
THE MOST DIFFICULT SONG IS THE ONE
ACCOMPANIED BY SUFFERING.
9
NOTE.—"Paul and Silas suffered the loss
of all things. They suffered scourging, and
were in no gentle manner thrown upon
the cold floor of a dungeon in a most pain-
ful position, their feet elevated and fastened
in the stocks. Did repinings and complaints
then reach the ear of the jailer? Oh, no !
From the inner prison, voices broke the
silence of midnight with songs of joy and
praise to God. These disciples were cheered
by a deep and earnest love for the cause of
their Redeemer, for which they suffered."
—Testimonies, vol.
3, p. 406.
11.
How did Paul accept physical
suffering and hardships? 2 Cor. 11:23-
28; 12:10.
NoTE.—"Paul reminded his brethren that
as Christ's messengers, he and his fellow
laborers were continually in peril. The
hardships they endured were wearing away
their strength. 'We which live,' the wrote,
`are alway delivered unto death for Jesus'
sake, that the life also of Jesus might be
made manifest in our mortal flesh. So
then death worketh in us, but life in you.'
Suffering physically through privation and
toil, these ministers of Christ were con-
forming to His death."—The
Acts of the
Apostles,
page 331.
12.
After listing the sorrows and
persecutions that come, what was
Paul's testimony of victory? Rom.
8:37.
NoTE.—"Paul carried with him the at-
mosphere of heaven. All who associated
with him felt the influence of his union
with Christ. The fact that his own life
exemplified the truth he proclaimed, gave
convincing power to his preaching. Here
lies the power of truth. The unstudied, un-
conscious influence of a holy life is the
most convincing sermon that can be given
in favor of Christianity."—The
Acts of the
Apostles,
pages 510, 511.
13.
What did Paul see as the ulti-
mate good to be received by those
who endure tribulation with pa-
tience? Rom. 5:3-5.
Suggestion for Meditation
"Whatever our distress, we can be sure
that God sees us and that God cares for
us. If ever we are tempted to cry out with
the psalmist, 'No man cared for my soul,'
let us remember that God cares for us and
that His providence is over us. As Jeremy
Taylor, the master of English style, once
put it, 'We are safer in God's storm, with
God present, than we are in the calm of
the world.' "—Clarence Macartney,
Chari-
ots of Fire
(quoted in
The Watchman-Ex-
aminer,
Sept. 4, 1952, p. 813).
Lesson 3, for October 16, 1954
David's Victory Over Sorrow
MEMORY VERSE:
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth
him out of them all." Ps. 34:19.
STUDY HELP:
"Patriarchs and Prophets," pages 643-648.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT
1.
General survey of the lesson.
2.
Key Thoughts; Introduction;
Ques. 1-3.
3.
Ques. 4-6.
4.
Ques. 7-9.
5.
Ques. 10-13.
6.
Read Study Help.
7.
Review the entire lesson; read
Suggestion for Meditation.
the
101
Lesson Outline:
I.
Introduction: A Man Who Faced
Many Crises
II.
A Young Man of Faith
1. Spiritual preparation. 1 Sam. 16:13.
Z. Walking with God. 1 Sam. 16:18.
3. Faith in time of danger. 1 Sam.
17:45, 47.
Ill. David Suffers at Saul's Hands
1.
A king's jealousy. 1 Sam. 18:29.
2.
Dangers beset David. 1 Sam. 20:3.
3.
Strength from God. Ps. 18:3-6.
IV. David Suffers for His Sins
1.
Sin revealed. 2 Sam. 12:9, 10.
2.
Sorrow after repentance. 2 Sam.
12:15-18.
3.
David's sons dishonor him. 2 Sam.
13:28, 29; 15:10, 14.
4.
The king's humiliation. 2 Sam.
15:30.
5.
The loss of Absalom. 2 Sam. 18:33.
V. Beyond the Tragedy
1. God is a shield. Ps. 3 : 1-5.
2. God is my refuge. Ps. 27:5; 34:19;
57:1.
Key Thoughts:
1.
David, an Object Lesson.
"God in-
tended the history of David's fall to serve
as a warning that even those whom He has
greatly blessed and favored are not to feel
secure, and neglect watchfulness and prayer.
And thus it has proved to those who in
humility have sought to learn the lesson
that God designed to teach. From genera-
tion to generation, thousands have thus
been led to realize their own danger from
the tempter's power. The fall of David,
one so greatly honored by the Lord, has
awakened in them distrust of self. They
have felt that God alone could keep them
by His power through faith. Knowing
that in Him was their strength and safety,
they have feared to take the first step on
Satan's
ground."-Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 724.
2.
Suffering Develops Character.
The
psalmist declared, "Thou hast enlarged me
when I was in distress." Ps. 4:1. David
realized that suffering changed character;
it gave him a different perspective on life
and made him humble before his God. The
word "character" is from the Greek which
means
to cut out, to carve .or engrave
as
with a graving tool. Affliction is the sharp
tool by which much of life's carving is
done.
THE LESSON
Introduction: A Man Who Faced
Many Crises
David loved God and attempted sin-
cerely to follow the divine precepts, but the
man stumbled and fell again and again on
the pathway to heaven. Young David, af-
ter being anointed king, suffered at the
hand of rebellious Saul, who became a
fierce enemy. Persecution and the threat
of death hung over David for months and
years, yet he continued to trust in the Eter-
nal One.
Later in life, when prosperity and honor
came to David, when dangers no longer be-
set him, the king brought sorrow and
tragedy upon himself and upon others by
his sins. The crimes of murder and adul-
tery brought divine judgment upon David.
Still later in his career the king suffered
again and his life was in jeopardy because,
as a father, he had failed to discipline his
sons.
Human weakness almost overwhelmed
David, yet he repented of his evil deeds,
returned to the Lord, and received forgive-
ness. Truly, the life of this king of Israel
illustrates how some of the trials, sorrows,
and sufferings are the result of enemies;
some are the harvest of our own sowing;
while still others are the result of living in
a sin-cursed world. May we be able to say
as did David: "This poor man cried, and
the Lord heard him, and saved him out of
all his troubles." Ps. 34:6.
A Young Man of Faith
1. When the youthful David was
anointed king of Israel, what spiritual
NWM
HIGH POSITION OR HONOR DOES NOT
PROTECT ONE FROM SIN OR
SORROW.
experience came to him? 1 Sam.
16:13.
NOTE.—"Daily
revelations of the charac-
ter and majesty of his Creator, filled the
young poet's heart with adoration and re-
joicing. In contemplation of God and His
works, the faculties of David's mind and
heart were developing and strengthening
for the work of his afterlife. He was daily
coming into a more intimate communion
with
God."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page
642.
2.
What was the testimony of
Saul's servants concerning David? 1
Sam. 16:18.
3.
When faced by the giant Goli-
ath, how did David express his con-
fidence in God? 1 Sam. 17:45, 47.
David Suffers at Saul's Hands
4.
When Saul saw that God blessed
David, what was the king's attitude
toward the young man? 1 Sam. 18:29.
NOTE.—"It
was the providence of God
that had connected David with Saul. Da-
vid's position at court would give him a
knowledge of affairs, in preparation for his
future greatness. It would enable him to
gain the confidence of the nation. The
vicissitudes and hardships which befell
him, through the enmity of Saul, would
lead him to feel his dependence upon God,
and to put his whole trust in Him. And the
friendship of Jonathan for David was also
of God's providence, to preserve the life
of the future ruler of Israel. In all these
things, God was working out His gracious
purposes, both for David and for the peo-
ple of
Israel."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 649.
5.
How did David describe the
danger he faced at Saul's hand? 1 Sam.
20:3.
6.
On whom did David call in the
hour when he suffered innocently at
Saul's hand? Ps. 18:3-6.
David Suffers for His Sin
7.
After David had caused the
death of Uriah, what divine message
came to the king? 2 Sam. 12:9, 10.
NOTE.—"The
history. of David furnishes
no countenance to sin. It was when he was
walking in the counsel of God, that he was
called a man after God's own heart. When
he sinned, this ceased to be true of him un-
til by repentance he had returned to the
Lord."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page
723.
8.
Though David repented of his
sin and was forgiven, what further
agony came to him? 2 Sam. 12:15-18,
first part.
NOTE.—"The
sentence of death was trans-
ferred from David to the child of his sin.
Thus the king was given opportunity for
[ 12 ]
repentance; while to him the suffering and
death of the child, as a part of his punish-
ment, was far more bitter than his own
death could have
been."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
page 722.
9.
Because David failed to disci-
pline his sons, what sorrow came
upon him? 2 Sam. 13:28, 29; 15:10,
14.
NOTE.—"David had neglected the duty
of punishing the crime of Amnon, and be-
cause of the unfaithfulness of the king
and father, and the impenitence of the son,
the Lord permitted events to take their
natural course, and did not restrain Absa-
lom. When parents or rulers neglect the
duty of punishing iniquity, God Himself
will take the case in hand. His restraining
power will be in a measure removed from
the agencies of evil, so that a train of cir-
cumstances will arise which will punish
sin with
sin."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 728.
10.
What humiliation came to
King David? 2 Sam. 15:30.
NOTE.—"When David went up the
Mount Olivet, 'and wept as he went up,
and had his head covered, and he went
barefoot,' the Lord was looking pityingly
upon him. David was clothed in sackcloth,
and his conscience was scourging him. The
outward signs of humiliation testified of
his contrition. In tearful, heartbroken ut-
terances, he presented his case to God, and
the Lord did not forsake His servant.
Never was David dearer to the heart of
Infinite Love than when, conscience-smit-
ten, he fled for his life from his enemies,
who had been stirred to rebellion by his
own
son."—Thoughts From the Mount of
Blessing,
pages 24, 25.
11.
In what pathetic words did Da-
vid express his sorrow for the trou-
bled life and tragic death of Absalom?
2 Sam. 18:33.
Beyond the Tragedy
12.
Through all his suffering and
sorrow what sustained David? Ps.
3:1-5.
13.
How did David express his
courage and faith in the Eternal One?
Ps. 27:5; 34:19; 57:1.
NOTE.—"The psalms of David pass
through the whole range of experience,
from the depths of conscious guilt and self-
condemnation to the loftiest faith and the
most exalted communing with God. His
life record declares that sin can bring only
shame and woe, but that God's love and
mercy can reach to the deepest depths, that
faith will lift up the repenting soul to share
the adoption of the sons of God. Of all
the assurances which His word contains, it
is one of the strongest testimonies to the
faithfulness, the justice, and the covenant
mercy of
God."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 754.
Suggestion for Meditation
"His [Jesus'] bosom was to mankind
what the ocean is to the world. The ocean
has its own mighty tide ; but it receives and
responds to, in exact proportion, the tidal
influences of every estuary, and river, and
small creek which pours into its bosom. So
it was in Christ; His bosom heaved with
the tides of our humanity: but every sepa-
rate sorrow, pain, and joy gave its pulsa-
tion, and received back influence from the
sea of His being."—The
Biblical Illustrator,
Matthew, page 167.
"Lesson Quarterlies" in Braille are available for the blind. Order from
Christian Record, Lincoln 6, Nebraska.
[131
Lesson 4, for October 23, 1954
Job, a Man Tested and Tried
MEMORY VERSE:
"But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I
shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10.
STUDY HELP:
"Education," pages 154-156.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT
1.
General survey of the lesson.
5. Ques. 10-12.
2.
Key Thought; Introduction;
6. Ques. 13-15; read Study Help.
Ques. 1, 2.
7. Review the entire lesson; read the
3.
Ques. 3-5.
Suggestion for Meditation.
4.
Ques. 6-9.
Lesson Outline:
I. Introduction: A Saint Suffers for His
Faith
II. The Integrity of Job
1.
God's testimony. Job. 1:8.
2.
Satan's accusation. Job 1:9-11.
3.
God permits affliction. Job 1:12.
4.
Sickness strikes. Job 2:7.
5.
The counsel of Job's wife. Job 2:9.
6.
Attitude of relatives and friends.
Job 19:13, 14.
III. The Trial of False Reasoning
1.
Eliphaz's view. Job 4:7.
2.
Bildad's assumption. Job, 8:4.
3.
The charge of evil conduct. Job
22:5-9.
4.
Trouble the penalty of sin. Job
22:10, 11.
IV. The Triumph of Job
1. Job's confession of faith. Job
23:10.
2. Teachable in trial. Job 13:15, 16.
V. Job's Faith Rewarded
1.
A vision of God's greatness. Job
40:3, 4; 42:6.
2.
Full deliverance. Job 42:10.
3.
An example to Christians. James
5:11.
Key Thought:
We Shall Come Forth.
"According to
his faith, so was it unto Job. 'When He
hath tried me,' he said, 'I shall come forth
as gold.' So it came to pass. By his pa-
tient endurance he vindicated his own
character, and thus the character of Him
whose representative he was. And 'the
Lord turned the captivity of Job; . . . also
the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had
before. . . . So the Lord blessed the latter
end of Job more than his beginning.'
"-
Education,
page 156.
THE LESSON
Introduction: A Saint Suffers
for His Faith
The book of Job teaches that suffering
may befall the righteous, not as a chasten-
ing for sin, but as a trial of their faith. The
book also sets forth the danger of thinking
that rightdoing brings prosperity, while
wickedness reaps misfortune in this life.
The book of Job, centering in the prob-
lem of suffering, is an object lesson of how
a patient man trusted in God and was
eventually rewarded for his faith. The
ordeal of affliction and loss drew Job nearer
to his heavenly Father. The man thought
[
14]
"T KNOW THAT MY
REDEEMER LIVETH."
he knew God, but when pain and trouble
pulled the curtain of darkness about his
soul, the sufferer longed to be closer to
heaven. Job cried, "Oh that I knew where
I might find Him!" Although the pain-
wracked man could not see the way ahead,
he trusted God's leading. "He knoweth the
way that I take," testified Job; "when He
hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."
Job
23:3,
10.
If, like Job, our trials and disappoint-
ments draw us closer to the heart of God,
they will not have been in vain.
The Integrity of Job
1.
What was God's testimony con-
cerning Job? Job 1:8.
NoTE.—One basic question answered by
the book of Job is, "Doth Job fear God
for nought?" In other words, "Is there a
man anywhere who serves God because it
is the right thing to do, and because he
loves his Maker?" The answer of Job's life
is "Yes."
2.
What accusation did Satan bring
against this righteous man? Job 1:
9-11.
NoTE.—"Unselfishness, the principle of
God's kingdom, is the principle that Satan
hates; its very existence he denies. From
the beginning of the great controversy he
has endeavored to prove God's principles
of action to be selfish, and he deals in the
same way with all who serve God. To dis-
prove Satan's claim is the work of Christ
and of all who bear His
name."—Educa-
tion,
page 154.
3.
How fully did God consent to
the affliction of Job? Job 1:12.
4.
After Job had lost his posses-
sions and his children, what further
trial came to him? Job 2:7.
5.
What was the attitude of Job's
wife toward his suffering and sor-
row? Job 2:9.
NoTE.—The woman was puzzled and
bewildered by trial and suffering. She had
no faith to help her see beyond the shadow.
"Satan had taken away Job's wealth, his
children and his health, but he did not take
away his wife—her influence was used to
make Job's trial greater."—Gordon Chil-
vers, in
Moody Monthly,
July, 1953, p.
807.
6.
During Job's affliction, what at-
titude did his relatives and acquaint-
ances have toward him? Job 19:13, 14.
The Trial of False Reasoning
7.
What false reason for suffering
did Eliphaz imply? Job 4:7.
NorE.—The "comforters" of Job saw no
possible reason for Job's suffering other
than some hidden sin.
"The object of this question is mani-
festly to show to Job the inconsistency of
the feelings which he had evinced. He
claimed to be a righteous man. He had
15 ]
instructed and counseled many others. He
had professed confidence in God, and in
the integrity of his own ways. . . . 'There
must have been,' is the meaning of Eliphaz,
`something wrong, when such calamities
come upon a man, and when his faith gives
way in such a manner. It would be con-
trary to all the analogy of the divine deal-
ings to suppose that such a man as Job
had professed to, be,
could be the subject
of overwhelming judgments; for who, I
ask, ever perished, being innocent? It is a
settled principle of the divine government,
that no one ever perishes who is innocent,
and that great calamities are a proof of
great guilt.' This declaration contains the
essence of all the positions held by Eliphaz
and his colleagues in this argument."—
Barnes,
Notes on the Old Testament, vol.
1,
p. 144.
8.
What reason did Bildad give for
the death of Job's children? Job 8:4.
NoTE.—"Bildad here
assumes
that the
children of Job had been wicked, and had
been cut off in their sins. This must have
cut him to the quick, for there was noth-
ing which a bereaved father would feel
more acutely than this."—Barnes,
Notes
on the Old Testament, vol.
1, p. 197.
9.
What charge of evil conduct is
made against Job? Job 22:5-9.
10.
Because of his supposed evil
life, what did Eliphaz say had be-
fallen Job? Job 22:10, 11.
NOTE.—"Job's professed friends were
miserable comforters, making his case more
bitter and unbearable, and Job was not
guilty as they supposed. Those who are
under the pain and distress of their own
wrongdoing, while Satan is seeking to
drive them to despair, are the very ones
who need help the most. . . . Most pitia-
ble is the condition of one who is suffering
under remorse; he is as one stunned, stag-
gering, sinking into the dust. And many
who suppose themselves to be righteous,
become exasperating comforters; they deal
harshly with these
souls."—Testimonies to
Ministers,
page 350.
The Triumph of Job
11.
In his darkest hour what con-
fession of faith in God's plan for his
life did Job express? Job 23:10.
12.
As his trials increased, how did
suffering Job show that his faith was
growing stronger? Job 13:15, 16.
NOTE.—"From the depths of discourage-
ment and despondency Job rose to the
heights of implicit trust in the mercy and
the saving power of God. Triumphantly
he declared: 'Though He slay me
,
yet will
I trust in
Him.'"—Prophets and Kings,
pages 163, 164.
Job's Faith Rewarded
13.
After God revealed Himself to
the suffering one, what change took
place in Job's spiritual experience?
Job 40:3, 4; 42:6.
NoTE.—"When Job caught a glimpse of
his Creator, he abhorred himself, and re-
pented in dust and ashes. Then the Lord
was able to bless him abundantly, and to
make his last years the best of his life."—
Prophets and Kings,
page 164.
14.
When did God bring full de-
liverance to His faithful servant? Job
42:10.
15.
Of what does the apostle James
make Job an example to all Chris-
tians? James 5:11.
Suggestion for Meditation
"It is precisely from the company of the
sons and daughters of affliction that the
[16]
most convinced believers of all the ages
have sprung. Who are the men whose
names stand on the dramatic roll call of
the faithful in Hebrews? Are they men
whose days were happy and unclouded
and serene, souls for whom the sun was
always shining and the skies unvisited by
storm or midnight? If anyone imagines
'that such is the background of faith, let
him listen to this-`They were stoned, they
were sawn asunder, were tempted, were
slain with the sword, destitute, afflicted,
tormented; they wandered in deserts, and
in mountains, and in dens and caves of
the earth.' That, declares the New Testa-
ment, has been in every age faith's grim
heredity! And it is not from sheltered
ways and quiet, sequestered paths, it is
from a thousand crosses, that the cry as-
cends-'Hallelujah ! For the Lord God
omnipotent reigneth.' "-James S. Steward,
The Strong Name,
page 153.
Lesson 5, for October 30, 1954
Why Jesus Suffered
MEMORY VERSE:
"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and
the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death."
Phil. 3:10.
STUDY HELPS:
"The Desire of Ages," chapter 1; "Testimonies," vol. 2, pp. 200-215.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT
1.
General survey of the lesson.
5.
Ques.
11-14.
2.
Key Thought; Introduction;
6.
Read Study Helps.
Ques. 1, 2.
7.
Review the entire lesson; read the
3.
Ques. 3-6.
Suggestion for Meditation.
4.
Ques. 7-10.
Lesson Outline:
I. Introduction: Jesus, "a Man of Sor-
rows"
II. Our Example in Suffering
1.
The mystery of God in the flesh.
John 1:1, 14.
2.
In His steps. 1 Peter 2:21.
3.
Made like His brethren. Heb. 2:17.
4.
Made sin for us. 2 Cor. 5:21.
5.
Able to save-. Heb. 2:18.
III. What Christ Learned in Suffering
1.
Learned obedience. Heb. 5:8.
2.
Made perfect through sufferings.
Heb. 2:10.
3.
Sympathizes with our infirmities.
Heb. 4:15.
IV. The Revelation of Divine Love
1.
He suffered for us. 1 Peter 4:1.
2.
He grieved over rejection of His
love. Matt. 23:37; Luke 19:41, 42.
3.
He sympathizes with
us in sorrow.
John 11:33, 35.
V. The Fellowship of Christ's Sufferings
1.
Partakers with Christ. 1 Peter
4:12, 13.
2.
The gift of love. Rom. 5:8.
3.
God afflicted with us. Isa. 63:9.
Key Thought:
"Suffered Being Tempted."
"This
phrase gives an insight into the nature of
Christ's temptations. The body given Him
1
17
7
was not such that He was unaffected by
temptations, so that for Him in reality
there were no temptations. There are good
people whose disposition is such that cer-
tain temptations that are very severe to
others are no temptation to them. But this
was not Christ's experience; for if it had
been, He would not have experienced the
terrific struggle of a poor sinner who is
mightily tempted to yield. Christ must be
tempted in all points like as we are! He
must actually suffer being tempted."—M.
L. Andreasen,
The Book of Hebrews,
page
108.
THE LESSON
Introduction: Jesus, "a Mari
,
of Sorrows"
Old Testament prophecies pointed to the
coming of the Messiah, the Lamb of God,
the Suffering Servant. In stooping to take
our nature, Jesus accepted the weight of
woe, the agony and suffering, that was the
lot of the human family because of sin.
"In all their affliction He was afflicted."
Isaiah gives the supreme portrayal of the
suffering Saviour in the fifty-third chapter
of his book.
"Since Jesus came to dwell with us, we
know that God is acquainted with our
trials, and sympathizes with our griefs."—
The Desire of Ages,
page 24. This is the
glorious fellowship that we have with the
Father and the Son. They are acquainted
with all that we suffer.
Our Example in Suffering
1. What wonderful mystery is re-
vealed through Jesus Christ? John
1:1, 14.
NOTE.—"The union of the divine with
the human nature is one of the most pre-
cious and most mysterious truths of the
plan of redemption. It is this of which
Paul speaks when he says: 'Without con-
troversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifest in the flesh.' . . . Christ
stooped to take upon Himself human na-
ture, that He might reach the fallen race
and lift them up. But the minds of men
had become darkened by sin, their facul-
ties were benumbed and their perceptions
dulled, so that they could not discern His
divine character beneath the garb of
hu-
manity."—Testimonies, vol. 5,
p.
746.
2.
What glorious example of suf-
fering has been given to every child
of God? 1 Peter 2:21.
NOTE.—"Shall we complain of hardship
and trial in the work of overcoming on our
own account, when we remember the suf-
ferings of our Redeemer in the wilderness
of temptation, in the Garden of Geth-
semane, and on Calvary? All these were
endured to show us the way and to bring
us the divine help that we must have or
perish."—Testimonies,
vol. 3, p. 371.
3.
What was necessary in order for
Jesus to become a faithful high priest?
Heb. 2:17.
4.
In what terrible burden of hu-
manity did Jesus share? 2 Cor. 5:21.
NOTE.—"Made Him to be sin." Jesus
never yielded to temptation ; therefore He
knew no sin as the result of evil-doing.
David Brown points out that Jesus was
"the representative
Sin Bearer
(vicar-
iously) of the
aggregate sin
of all men past,
present, and future. The sin of the world
is
one,
therefore the
singular,
not the
plural,
is used."—Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown,
A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory,
on 2 Cor. 5:21.
5.
What experience in the life of
Jesus Christ makes Him better able
to help us in the hour of trial? Heb.
2:18.
[18]
THE GREAT PHYSICIAN SAYS:
"MY CHILD, I AM
WITH YOU
IN
YOUR PAIN AND
SUFFERING."
NOTE.—"If
we had to bear anything
which Jesus did not endure, then upon this
point Satan would represent the power of
God as insufficient for us. Therefore Jesus
was 'in all points tempted like as we are.'
Heb. 4:15. He endured every trial to
which we are subject. And He exercised in
His own behalf no power that is not freely
offered to us. As man, He met temptation,
and overcame in the strength given him
from
God."—The Desire of Ages,
page 24.
What Christ Learned in
Suffering
6.
What was the supreme lesson
the Saviour learned in His earthly ex-
periences? Heb. 5:8.
7.
Through what experiences did
the Son of God become our perfect
Saviour and Redeemer? Heb. 2:10.
give it, 'in the way of resemblance.'"—
M. L. Andreasen,
The Book of Hebrews,
pages 179, 180.
The Revelation of Divine Love
NoTE.—"Suffering serves a definite pur-
pose in the plan of God. If Christ had
come to this earth and had done the per-
fect will of God; if He had failed in noth-
ing but lived blamelessly before God and
man; yet He would not have met God's
standard or man's need without suffering."
—M. L. Andreasen,
The Book of Hebrews,
page 98.
8. How did Jesus become ac-
quainted with the sorrows and trials
of humanity? Heb. 4:15. Compare
Isa. 43:2.
NoTE.—"Christ suffers with us as we suf-
fer, but He does more. Many of our dif-
ficulties are a result of infirmities, not of
outright rebellion or wicked stubbornness,
but a lamentable weakness that makes us
give in instead of resisting, and causes all
manner of difficulty. Even this condition
Christ understands. He may not be able
to excuse us, but we may be assured that
He feels with us and understands; for He
Himself was tempted in all points like as
we are, or as a literal translation might
9.
For whom did Christ endure suf-
fering? 1 Peter 4:1.
NOTE.—"None but the Son of God could
accomplish our redemption; for only He
who was in the bosom of the Father
could declare Him. Only He who knew
the height and depth of the love of God
could make it manifest. Nothing less than
the infinite sacrifice made by Christ in be-
half of fallen man could express the Fa-
ther's love to lost humanity."—Steps
to
Christ,
page 16.
10.
How did the Son of God treat
those who rejected Him? Matt. 23:37;
Luke 19:41, 42.
NoTE.—The Lord suffered the agony of
rejection because sinners were blind to
their need of salvation and they spurned
the love of God manifest in His Son.
11.
When Martha and Mary grieved
because of the death of their. brother,
[ 19
how did Jesus reveal His sympathy?
John 11:33, 35.
NOTE.—"It was not only because of the
scene before Him that Christ wept. The
weight of the grief of ages was upon Him.
He saw the terrible effects of the transgres-
sion of God's law. He saw that in the his-
tory of the world, beginning with the death
of Abel, the conflict between good and
evil had been unceasing. Looking down
the years to come, He saw the suffering and
sorrow, tears and death, that were to be the
lot of men. His heart was pierced with the
pain of the human family of all ages and
in all lands."—The
Desire of Ages,
page
534.
The Fellowship of Christ's
Suffering
12. How may we enter into fel-
lowship with our Saviour? 1 Peter
4:12, 13.
NOTE.—"God never leads His children
otherwise than they would choose to be led,
if they could see the end from the begin-
ning, and discern the glory of the purpose
which they are fulfilling as co-workers
with Him. . . . And of all the gifts that
Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship
with Christ in His sufferings is the most
weighty trust and the highest honor."—
The Desire of Ages,
pages 224, 225.
13.
How did the Father reveal His
infinite love for sinners? Rom. 5:8.
NOTE.—"Few give thought to the suffer-
ing that sin has caused our Creator. All
heaven suffered in Christ's agony ; but
that suffering did not begin or end with His
manifestation in humanity. The cross is a
revelation to our dull senses of the pain
that, from its very inception, sin has
brought to the heart of God. Every de-
parture from the right, every deed of cru-
elty, every failure of humanity to reach
His ideal, brings grief to
Him."—Educa-
tiork,
page 263.
14.
How has the Father's love been
manifested to His children through
their testings and trials? Isa. 63:9.
Suggestion for Meditation
"No sorrow, no agony, can measure with
that which was endured by the Son of God.
Man has not been made a sin bearer, and
he will never know the horror of the curse
of sin which the Saviour bore. . . . The
agony which Christ endured broadens,
deepens, and gives a more extended concep-
tion of the character of sin, and the charac-
ter of the retribution which God will bring
upon those who continue in sin. The wages
of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ to the repenting,
believing sinner."—Ellen G. White, MS, 35,
1895, quoted in
The Ministry,
May, 1938,
pp. 38, 39.
,
Lesson 6, for November 6, 1954
God's Presence With the Suffering
MEMORY VERSE:
"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." 1 Pe-
ter 5:7.
STUDY HELPS:
"Prophets and Kings," pages 167-176; "The Acts of the. Apostles,"
pages 509-513.
[20
]
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT
1.
General survey of the lesson.
5.
Ques. 9-12.
2.
Key ,Thought; Introduction; Ques.
1.
6.
Ques. 13,
14;
read Study Helps.
3.
Ques. 2-4.
7.
Review the entire lesson; read the
4.
Ques. 5-8.
Suggestion for Meditation.
Lesson Outline:
I. Introduction: We Are Not Alone
II. The Agony of Loneliness
1.
Elijah's despondency. 1 Kings
19:4, 14.
2.
David's feeling of isolation. Ps.
10:1; 13:1.
3.
Prophecy of Messiah's loneliness.
Isa. 63:3.
4.
Christ's agonizing cry of aloneness.
Matt. 27:46.
5.
Paul's loneliness in prison. 2 Tim.
4:16,
III. God Is Beside Us
1.
The apostle's Comforter. 2 Tim.
4:17, 18.
2.
God's chariots and horsemen.
2 Kings 6 : 15-17.
3.
The fourth companion. Dan.
3:24, 25.
IV. Our Refuge and Strength
1. The source of comfort. 2 Cor. 1:3.
2.
Preparation to help others. 2 Cor.
1:4.
3.
Promises of help. Isa. 41:10.
V. Comfort in Sorrow
1.
Sharers of Christ's sufferings. 2 Cor.
1:5.
2.
The rod and staff. Ps. 23:4.
3.
A place for our cares. 1 Peter 5:7.
Key Thought:
How Little We Know.
"Those who
have not the peculiar trials to which an-
other is subjected may flatter themselves
that they are better than he. But place
them in the furnace of trial, and they
might not endure it nearly as well as the
one they censure and misjudge. How lit-
tle we can know of the heart anguish of
another. How few understand another's
circumstances."-Testimonies,
vol.
5, p. 55.
THE LESSON
Introduction: We Are Not Alone
There are times when we feel like throw-
ing up our hands and saying, "What have
I done to deserve all this trouble? I can't
understand why I must suffer for some-
thing I haven't done." While much of the
sickness, pain, and sorrow in our world is
the result of breaking natural laws, yet
there is suffering which cannot be ex-
plained. There are forces beyond man's
control-such as lightning, earthquakes,
and disease germs-which destroy him.
Why should one innocent child be para-
lyzed by a virus and another escape?
We cannot solve all the mysteries of sor-
row and suffering; but we can go forward
by faith, knowing we are not alone. When
we can sincerely pray, as did Jesus, "Not
as I will, but as Thou.wilt" (Matt. 26:39),
we can triumph over our affliction.
The Agony of Loneliness '
1. When Elijah was physically ex-
hausted and spiritually discouraged,
what request did he make? 1 Kings
19:4, 14.
NOTE.-He felt lonely and deserted. Life
seemed worthless, and he wanted to die.
"If, under trying circumstances, men of
spiritual power, pressed beyond measure,
become discouraged and desponding; if at
times they see nothing desirable in life, that
they should choose it, this is nothing
[ 21 ]
strange or new. Let all such remember
that one of the mightiest of the prophets
fled for his life before the rage of an in-
furiated woman. A fugitive, weary and
travel-worn, bitter disappointment crush-
ing his spirits, he asked that he might die.
But it was when hope was gone, and his
lifework seemed threatened with defeat,
that he learned one of the most precious
lessons of his life. In the hour of his
greatest weakness he learned the need and
the possibility of trusting God under cir-
cumstances the most forbidding."—Proph-
ets
and Kings,
page 173.
2.
How did David express his feel-
ing of separation from God? Ps. 10:1;
13:1.
3.
What prophecy was made con-
cerning the loneliness of the Mes-
siah's life? Isa. 63:3, first part.
NoTE.—"Yet through childhood, youth,
and manhood, Jesus walked alone. In His
purity and His faithfulness, He trod the
wine press alone, and of the people there
was none with Him. He carried the awful
weight of responsibility for the salvation of
men. He knew that unless there was a de-
cided change in the principles and purposes
of the human race, all would be lost. This
was the burden of His soul, and none could
appreciate the weight that rested upon
Him."—The Desire of Ages,
page 92.
4.
In what agonizing words did
the suffering Saviour express His feel-
ing of despair in His final hours on
the cross? Matt. 27:46.
NoTE.—"The sins of the world were
upon Him, also the sense of His Father's
wrath as He suffered the penalty of the
law transgressed. It was these that crushed
His divine soul. It was the hiding of His
Father's face—a sense that His own dear
Father bad forsaken Him—which brought
despair. The separation that sin makes
between God and man was fully realized
THERE IS PRECIOUS PELLO SHIP IN BEING ABLE
TO SAY," I, TOO, HAVE SUFFERED.'
and keenly felt by the innocent, suffering
Man of Calvary. He was oppressed by the
powers of darkness. He had not one ray
of light to brighten the future."—Testi-
monies, vol.
2, p. 214.
5.
In the days of imprisonment at
Rome how did Paul reveal his loneli-
ness? 2 Tim. 4:16.
NoTE.—"Without money, without friends,
without counsel, the aged prisoner stood
before Nero—the countenance of the em-
peror bearing the shameful record of the
passions that raged within; the face of the
accused telling of a heart at peace with
God. Paul's experience had been one of
poverty, self-denial, and suffering. Not-
withstanding constant misrepresentation,
reproach; and abuse, by which his enemies
had endeavored to intimidate him, he had
fearlessly held aloft the standard of the
cross."—The
Acts of the Apostles,
pages
493, 494.
God Is
Beside Us
6.
Who stood by Paul in his suf-
fering and imprisonment? 2 Tim.
4:17, 18.
NoTE.—The word "strengthened" in the
[22]
Greek means "infused power into." It is
Paul's dynamic description of how the
power of Christ filled his life.
"If ever his ardor in the path of duty
for a moment flagged, one glance at the
cross and the amazing love of Christ re-
vealed in His unparalleled sacrifice was
enough to cause him to gird up anew the
loins of his mind and press forward in the
path of
self-denial."—Testimonies,
vol. 4,
P. 457.
7.
When Elisha's servant could see
only enemies surrounding him, what
did God reveal to him? 2 Kings
6:15-17.
Nom—The experience of Elisha's serv-
ant gives courage to God's remnant people
in their final trial, for we read: "Their af-
fliction is great, the flames of the furnace
seem about to consume them; but Jesus
will bring them forth as gold tried in the
fire. . . . They themselves know not how
securely they are shielded. Urged on by
Satan, the rulers of this world are seeking
to destroy them; but could their eyes be
opened, as were the eyes of Elisha's servant
at Dothan, they would see the angels of
God encamped about them, by their bright-
ness and glory holding in check the hosts
of
darkness."—Testimonies, vol.
5, pp. 474,
475.
8.
Who appeared with the three
Hebrew worthies in the fiery furnace?
Dan. 3:24, 25.
NOTE.—How changed is the suffering we
must endure when we know that Jesus is
beside us!
"The Lord did not forget His own. As
His witnesses were cast into the furnace,
the Saviour revealed Himself to them in
person, and together they walked in the
midst of the fire. In the presence of the
Lord of heat and cold, the flames lost
their power to
consume."—Prophets and
Kings,
pages 508, 509.
Our Refuge and Strength
9.
To whom can we look for com-
fort in ail our afflictions? 2 Cor. 1:3.
NorE.—"To see the love of God alters
our whole outlook. Pain and sorrow are
absorbing facts. They may shut out the
face of God. Yet they can be the means of
illumination. Need and despair can make
us sensitive to the love of God, from which
the security and sufficiency of this material
world may screen our eyes. Those who
turn to God in their deep need find that
He responds."—James Reid,
The Interpre-
ter's Bible, vol.
10,
p.
280.
10.
When we have been comforted,
what are we prepared to do? 2 Cor.
1:4.
NOTE.—"Suffering in which we have
found for ourselves the comfort of God is
an equipment for service. It puts us along-
side of others. It gives us entry to their
pain, making them willing to listen to us.
We can speak with authority, for we
have been there. . . . When affliction be-
comes the means of the knowledge of God
and of equipment for service, it finds its
place in an ordered world. It is taken up
into the purpose of God. It makes sense."
—James Reid,
The Interpreter's Bible, vol.
10, p. 281.
11.
What special promise does
God give to those who are lonely and
afraid? Isa. 41:10.
Comfort in Sorrow
12.
How do the sufferings of Christ
bring comfort to the child of God?
2 Cor. 1:5.
NOTE.—"The thought that in his afflic-
tions he was sharing in Christ's sufferings
was part. of Paul's comfort.. . . It may
mean simply that as Paul was suffering for
his faith and through the love for his breth-
ren which Christ had created, his sufferings
were of the same kind as the sufferings of
23
Christ. . . . No one can enter, as He
[Christ] did, into the full experience of hu-
man guilt which He bore on the cross. No
one can offer to God the perfect penitence
which comes from His insight into the
depth of human sin. But there is a real
sense in which Christ died that we might
do for others in our degree what He did,
carrying the burden of their sin, and re-
vealing in the love that suffers the love
that saves."—James Reid,
The Interpre-
ter's Bible, vol.
10, pp. 281, 282.
13. In darkness and suffering what
will comfort us? Ps. 23:4.
NoTE.—"No wise forward look can ig-
nore the possibility of many sorrows and
the certainty of some. Hope has ever
something of dread in her eyes. The road
will not be always bright and smooth, but
will sometimes plunge down into grim
canyons, where no sunbeams reach. But
even that anticipation may be calm. 'Thou
art with me' is enough. He who guides into
the gorge will guide through it. It is not a
cul-de-sac, shut in with precipices, at the
far end; but it opens out on shining table-
lands, where there is greener pasture."—
The Expositor's Bible,
on Ps. 23:4.
14. What are we admonished to
do with our trials and burdens? 1 Pe-
ter 5:7.
NOTE.—"Throw the whole of your anxi-
ety upon Him, because He cares for you."
—Weymouth's translation of 1 Peter 5:7.
Suggestion for Meditation
"Oh, was there ever suffering and sorrow
like that endured by the dying Saviour ! It
was the sense of His Father's displeasure
which made His cup so bitter. It was not
bodily suffering which so quickly ended the
life of Christ upon the cross. It was the
crushing weight of the sins of the world,
and a sense of His Father's wrath. The
Father's glory and sustaining presence had
left Him, and despair pressed its crushing
weight of darkness upon Him and forced
from His pale and quivering' lips the an-
guished cry: 'My God, My God, why hast
Thou forsaken Me?'
"—Testimonies, vol.
2,
p. 209.
Lesson 7, for November 13, 1954
What Suffering Can Do
MEMORY VERSE:
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He
also will deny us." 2 Tim. 2:12.
STUDY HELP:
"Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing," pages 70-72.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT
1.
General survey of the lesson.
5. Ques. 9-12.
2.
Key Thought; Introduction;
6. Ques. 13, 14; read Study Help.
Ques. 1, 2.
7. Review the entire lesson; read the
3.
Ques. 3-5.
Suggestion for Meditation.
4.
Ques. 6-8.
Lesson Outline:
II. How to Meet Trials
1.
Joyful acceptance. James 1:2..
2.
Fruit of chastening. Heb. 12:11.
3.
Developing patience. Rom. 5:3.
[24]
I. Introduction: The Purpose for Us in
Suffering
4. Patience the goal of Christian per-
fection. Col. 1:10, 11 ; Rev. 14:12.
Ill. Affliction Has Its Blessings
1. Leads to. obedience. Ps. 119:67, 71.
2. Causes realization of sin. Ps. 25:18.
3. Manifests God's works. John 9:3.
IV. Suffering, a Preparation to Meet
God
1. Prepares us for Christ's appearing.
1 Peter 1 : 7.
2. Prepares us to reign with Him.
2 Tim. 2:12.
3. Prepares the way for witnessing.
Luke 21:12, 13.
V. Through Trial to Perfection
1.
Suffering builds character. 1 Peter
5:10.
2.
God chastens in love. Heb. 12:5, 6.
3.- Persecution, the Christian's lot.
2 Tim. 3:12.
4. Promise of victory. James 1:12.
Key Thought:
God Sees the Gold.
"The fact that
we are called upon to endure trial shows
that the Lord Jesus sees in us
.
something
precious, which He desires to develop. If
He saw in us nothing whereby He might
glorify His name, He would not spend
time in refining us. He does not cast worth-
less stones into His furnace. It is valuable
ore that He refines. The blacksmith puts
the iron and steel into the fire that he may
know what manner of metal they are. The
Lord allows His chosen ones to be placed
in the furnace of affliction, to prove what
temper they are of, and whether they can
be fashioned for His work."—The
Ministry
of Healing,
page 471.
THE LESSON
Introduction: The Purpose for
Us in Suffering
The measure of our Christian experience
is not how much we suffer but how we ac-
cept the trials and afflictions. When we ac-
cept Jesus Christ as our Saviour we may
expect to share in His sufferings, for the
followers of the Master will always have
trials and tribulation thrust upon them by
a sinful world. When Paul was converted,
God told Ananias, "I will show him how
many things he must suffer for My name's
sake." Acts 9:16, A.R.V.
How to Meet Trials
1.
What is to be the Christian's
attitude when trials and suffering
come? James 1:2.
2.
If the child of God accepts test
and trial in the right spirit, what may
they produce in his life? Heb. 12:11.
Suffering may bring many benefits to
Christians. It helps us to be understanding
of our fellow men and to be sympathetic
with their problems. Suffering draws many
men to Christ. They realize their helpless-
ness when they are laid low by sickness or
trouble. In the darkness, they seek God's
love.
Beyond sorrow there is a glorious re-
ward. We shall receive a crown of life
and reign with Christ forever. In that day
the suffering and cares of this life will
fade away and seem as nothing compared
with the joys of eternity.
Nora.—"For
the moment all discipline
seems painful rather than pleasant; later it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to
those who have been trained by it." Heb.
12:11, R.S.V.
The chastening can produce the "fruit of
righteousness" if the child of God has been
"trained by it." Suffering and trial are
educative forces. We can learn in this
school or we can turn away embittered and,
at the same time, remain ignorant of God's
plan to train us for His service.
[
26
]
3.
What Christian virtue is devel-
oped through tribulation? Rom. 5:3.
Compare James 1:3, 4.
NOTE.—"None who receive God's word
are exempt from difficulty and trial; but
when affliction comes, the true Christian
does not become restless, distrustful, or
despondent. Though we cannot see the
definite outcome of affairs, or discern the
purpose of God's providences, we are not to
cast away our confidence. Remembering
the tender mercies of the Lord, we should
cast our care upon Him, and with patience
wait for His salvation."—Christ's
Object
Lessons,
pages 60, 61.
4.
How is patience spoken of as
the goal of Christian perfection? Col.
1:10, 11; Rev. 14:12.
Affliction Has Its Blessings
5.
How did affliction benefit the
psalmist in his religious experience?
Ps. 119:67, 71.
6.
When he was afflicted, for what
did David pray? Ps. 25:18.
NOTE.—"God's purpose is not merely to
deliver from the suffering that is the in-
evitable result of sin, but to save from sin
itself. The soul, corrupted and deformed,
is to be purified, transformed, that it may
be clothed in `the beauty of the Lord our
God,' conformed to the image of His
Son.'"—Thoughts From the Mount of
Blessing,
page 95.
7.
For what special reason may dis-
ease and suffering sometimes come
upon an individual? John 9:3.
NoTE.—"It was generally believed by the
Jews that sin is punished in this life. Every
26
affliction was regarded as the penalty of
some wrongdoing, either of the sufferer
himself or of his parents. . . .
"The belief of the Jews in regard to the
relation of sin and suffering was held by
Christ's disciples. . . . The disciples were
not called upon to discuss the question as
to who had sinned or had not sinned, but
to understand the power and mercy of God
in giving sight to the blind. It was evident
that there was no healing virtue in the clay,
or in the pool wherein the blind man was
sent to wash, but that the virtue was in
Christ."—The
Desire of Ages,
page 471.
Suffering, a Preparation to
Meet God
8.
If we accept trials in the spirit
of Jesus, for what event may they help
us prepare? 1 Peter 1:7.
NOTE.—"Many who profess the name of
Christ and claim to be looking for His
speedy coming, know not what it is to suf-
fer for Christ's sake. Their hearts are not
subdued by grace, and they are not dead
to self, as is often shown in various ways.
At the same time they are talking of having
trials. Ilut the principal cause of their
trials is an unsubdued heart, which makes
self so sensitive that it is often crossed."—
Early Writings,
page 113.
9.
If we enter into suffering with
our blessed Lord, for what honor will
it help prepare us? 2 Tim. 2:12.
NOTE.—"The heirs of God have come
from garrets, from hovels, from dungeons,
from scaffolds, from mountains, from des-
erts, from the caves of the earth, from the
caverns of the sea. On earth they were
`destitute, afflicted, tormented.' . . . Now
the decisions of earth are reversed. 'The re-
buke of His people shall He take away.'
. . . They are no longer feeble, afflicted,
scattered, and oppressed. Henceforth they
are to be ever with the Lord. They stand
before the throne clad in richer robes than
the most honored of the 'earth have ever
worn. They are crowned with diadems
more glorious than were ever placed upon
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THE FINEST STEEL IS MADE BY THE
HEAT OF THE FURNACE-- THE FINEST
CHARACTER IN THE FIRES OF AFFLICTION.
the brow of earthly monarchs. The days
of pain and weeping are forever ended. The
King of glory has wiped the tears from all
faces; every cause of grief has been re-
moved."—The
Great ControverSy,
page
650.
10. Under what circumstances may
some of God's faithful children be
called upon to testify for Him.? Luke
21:12, 13.
Norr.—"Before all this, they will lay
hands on you and persecute you, and they
will betray you to synagogues and put you
in prison, when you will be brought before
kings and governors for the sake of My
name. Then will be your opportunity of
witnessing for
Me."—The Twentieth Cen-
tury New Testament,
on Luke 21:12, 13.
"The proclamation of the gospel has
ever been carried forward in this world in
the face of opposition, peril, loss, and suf-
fering. . . . Reproach and persecution have
separated many from earthly friends, but
never from the love of Christ. Never is the
tempest-tried soul more dearly loved by his
Saviour than when he is suffering reproach
for the truth's sake. 'I will love him,'
Christ said, 'and will manifest Myself to
him.' When for the truth's sake the be-
liever stands at the bar of earthly tribunals,
Christ stands by his side. When he is con-
fined within prison walls, Christ manifests
Himself to him, and cheers his heart with
His love."—The
Acts of the Apostles,
page 85.
Through Trial to Perfection
11.
What will be
the
effect of
suf-
fering
on our character if we bear it
patiently? 1 Peter 5:10.
Nozr.—"And after you have suffered a
little while, the God of all grace, who has
called you to His eternal' glory in Christ,
will Himself restore, establish, and
strengthen you." 1 Peter
5:10,
R.S.V.
12.
What experience must come to
all of God's children? Heb. 12:5, 6.
NoTr.--J43od permits trials to assail His
people, that by their constancy and obe-
dience they themselves may be spiritually
enriched, and that their example may be a
source of strength to others. 'I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, saith
the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of
evil.' The very trials that task our faith
most severely, and make it seem that God
has forsaken us, are to lead us closer to
Christ, that we may lay all our burdens at
His feet, and experience the peace which
He will give us in exchange."--Patriarchs
and
Prophets,
page 129.
13.
Even though the Christian
walks close to God, what will be his
lot? 2 Tim. 3:12.
NOTE.—"Every
temptation resisted, every
trial bravely borne, gives us a new experi-
ence, and advances us in the work of char-
acter building. The soul that through di-
vine power resists temptation, reveals to
the world and to the heavenly universe the
efficiency of the grace of
Christ."—Thoughts
From the Mount of Blessing,
page 171.
14.
What cheering promise is
made to those who endure trials and
temptation? James 1:12.
27 ]
Suggestion for Meditation
"Sorrow, indeed, is not peculiar to Chris-
tians. Of it, all are partakers. But Chris-
tian endurance is part of a fellowship with
Christ, in which we learn of Him. In the
warm air of prosperity a hot mist rises
round the soul, that hides from view the
great realities, and that deceives and mis-
leads us with its vain mirage. But in
suffering, taken in Christ's way and in fel-
lowship with Him, in the pain of disap-
pointment and of loss, and especially in the
exercise of submission, we are taught feel-
ingly where our true treasure is; and we
are trained to consent to-separations and
privations, for the sake of Christ, and
under the influence of the love of Christ."
-The Expositor's Bible,
on Phil. 3:10, 11.
Lesson 8, for November 20, 1954
Beyond the Shadow of Death
MEMORY VERSE:
"For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our
guide even unto death." Ps. 48:14.
STUDY HELP:
"The Desire of Ages," pages 524-536.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT
1.
General survey of the lesson.
2.
Key Thought; Introduction;
Ques. 1, 2.
3.
Ques. 3-6.
4.
Ques. 7-10.
5.
Ques. 11-13.
6.
Ques. 14; read Study Help.
7.
Review the entire lesson; read the
Suggestion for Meditation.
Lesson Outline:
I. Introduction: The Christian's Hope
II. The Giver of Life
1.
Our God forever. Ps. 48:14.
2.
The Prince of life. Acts 3:15.
3.
The resurrection and life. John
11:25.
4.
The gift for man. John 10:10.
III. Death Comes to Every Man
1.
The universal call. Rom. 5:12;
Heb. 9:27.
2.
The sleep of death. John 11:11.
3.
An unconscious state. Job 14:21;
Ps. 146:4.
IV. The Resurrection Hope
1.
The voice of life. John 5:25, 28.
2.
We shall answer. Job 14:15.
3.
A lively hope. 1 Peter 1:3.
4.
Hope beyond sorrow. 1 Thess.
4:13, 14; 1 Cor. 15:19, 20.
V. Victory Over Death
1.
Christ holds the keys. Rev. 1:18.
2.
Death shall be vanquished.. 1 Cor.
15:54.
3.
Comfort for the mourners. Jer.
31:16.
Key Thought:
The Reality of Christ's Resurrec-
tion.
"Let us make no mistake: the reality
of Christ's resurrection as a fact has en-
tered more deeply than any other historic
event into the lives of millions since those
early years. It gave the martyrs courage as
they faced the perils of the amphitheater.
It has dotted the greater part of the civi-
lized world with noble shrines, their towers
and spires pointing triumphantly to the
skies."-F. Townley Lord,
The Conquest
of Death,
page 73.
[28
7
THE LESSON
Introduction: The Christian's Hope
We are not asked to make any sacrifice
which the heavenly Father was not willing
to make when He gave His Son to redeem
a lost world. We see a cross on which an
innocent Man died so "that whosoever be-
lieveth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life."
Do we care enough in our sorrow to see
His face? Do we care enough to accept
His promises as our hope? When death
robs us of our dear ones, there is an empti-
ness in our hearts as wide as the heavens.
There is only One who can fill that empti-
ness, and in tender words He says, "I will
never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Heb.
13:5.
The Giver of Life
1.
How long will God be our
strength and guide? Ps. 48:14.
NOTE.—"It is true that disappointments
will come; tribulation we must expect; but
we are to commit everything, great and
small, to God. He does not become per-
plexed by the multiplicity of our griev-
ances nor overpowered by the weight of
our burdens. His watchcare extends to
every household and encircles every indi-
vidual; He is concerned in all our business
and our sorrows. He marks every tear;
He is touched with the feeling of our in-
firmities."—Testimonies, vol. 5,
p.
742.
2.
What does the apostle Peter de-
clare Jesus Christ to be? Acts 3:15.
See margin.
Norz.—"To the believer, Christ is the
resurrection and the life. In our Saviour
the life that was lost through sin is re-
stored; for He has life in Himself to
quicken whom He will. He is invested
with the right to give immortality. The life
that He laid down in humanity, He takes
up again, and gives to humanity."—The
Desire of Ages,
pages 786,• 787.
3.
What glorious promise breaks
the hopelessness of death for the
Christian? John 11:25.
NOTE.—"Christ endured an agonizing
death under the most humiliating circum-
stances that we might have life. He gave
up His precious life that He might van-
quish death. But He rose from the tomb,
and the myriads of angels who came to be-
hold Him take up the life He had laid
doWn heard His words of triumphant joy
as He stood above Joseph's rent sepulcher
proclaiming: 'I am the resurrection, and
the
life.'"—Testimonies,
vol. 6, p. 230.
4.
What did the Son of God bring
to man as the result of His earthly
ministry and sacrifice? John 10:10.
Death Comes to Every Man
5.
How universal is the call of
death? Rom. 5:12; Heb. 9:27.
Norz.—Of the billions of human beings
who have lived on this earth, only two
have escaped from it alive—Enoch and
Elijah, who were translated to heaven.
Every other being, including the Son of
God, has tasted the bitter cup of death.
•
6. In the words of Jesus, what is
man's condition in death? John 11:11.
NOTE.—"The Bible clearly teaches that
the dead do not go immediately to heaven.
They are represented as sleeping until the
resurrection. In the very day when the sil-
ver cord is loosed and the golden bowl
broken, man's thoughts perish. They that
go down to the grave are in silence. They
know no more of anything that is done
under the sun. Blessed rest for the weary
righteous! Time, be it long or short, is but
a moment to them. They sleep; they are
awakened by the trump of God to a glori-
(
29 1,
THE
CROSS OF CHRIST
AND
THE RESURRECTION
BECAME THE DOOR TO
LIFE ETERNAL.
ous immortality."—The
Great Controversy,
page 550.
7.
How do Job and David describe
man's unconscious state in the grave?
Job 14:21; Ps. 146:4.
The Resurrection Hope
8.
What does Jesus declare will
awaken the dead? John 5:25, 28.
9.
When the righteous dead hear
the voice of the Son of God, what will
they do? Job 14:15.
10.
How is the Christian hope of
the resurrection described by the apos-
tle Peter? 1 Peter 1:3.
11.
In what respect is the sorrow
of a Christian different from that of
an unbeliever in the presence of
death? 1 Thess. 4:13, 14; 1 Cor. 15:.
19, 20.
NoTE.—"If the cross and the tomb were
the end of Jesus, . . . is there any guar-
antee at all that the grave is not the end?
Paul thinks not. . . . The chasm is fixed,
and none may cross it if there is no resur-
rection of the dead. Love and immortal
longings are finished forever 'if Christ has
not been raised.' Little wonder that Paul's
written words throb with deep emotion as
he faces the full implication of this doubt
of the resurrection of Jesus."—The
Inter-
preter's Bible, vol.
10, p. 232.
Victory Over Death
12.
Who holds the keys of death?
Rev. 1:18.
13.
At the second advent of Christ
what victory will be gained? 1 Cor.
15:54.
14.
What promise is made to those
who mourn? Jer. 31:16.
Suggestion for Meditation
"Our sorrows do not ,spring out of the
ground. God 'cloth not afflict willingly nor
grieve the children of men.' When He per-
mits trials and afflictions, it is 'for our
profit, that we might be partakers of His
holiness.' If received in faith, the trial that
seems so bitter and hard to bear will prove
a blessing. The cruel blow that blights
the joys of earth will be the means of
turning our eyes to heaven. How many
there are who would never have known
Jesus had not sorrow led them to seek
comfort in Him!
"The trials of life are God's workmen,
to remove the impurities and roughness
from our character. Their hewing, squar-
ing, and chiseling, their burnishing and
polishing, is a painful process, it is hard to
be pressed down to the grinding wheel.
But the stone is brought forth prepared to
fill its place in the heavenly temple. Upon
no useless material does the Master bestow
such careful, thorough
work."—Thoughts
From the Mount of Blessing,
pages 23, 24.
[30]
Lesson 9, for November 27, 1954
Facing Our Sorrow
MEMORY VERSE:
"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the ever-
lasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall
say, Destroy them." Deut. 33:27.
STUDY HELP:
"The Acts of the Apostles," pages 524, 525, 574, 577.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT
1.
General survey of the lesson.
2.
Key Thought; Introduction;
Ques. 1, 2.
3.
Ques. 3-5.
4.
Ques. 6-8.
5.
Ques. 9-12.
6.
Ques. 13, 14; read Study Help.
7.
Review the entire lesson; read the
Suggestion for Meditation.
Lesson Outline:
I. Introduction: Strength to Endure
II. The Universal Experience of Sorrow
1.
Sorrow causes men to say, "Why
was I born?" Job 3:20; Jer. 20:18.
2.
Sorrow affects our physical nature.
Job 17:7; Prov. 15:13, last part.
3.
Sorrow overwhelms the weak. 2 Cor.
2:7.
III. Reconciled to God's Will
1.
The Christian's comfort. 1 Thess.
4:13.
2.
We are sustained in sorrow. Deut.
33:27.
3.
Christ's example. John 18:11.
4.
"Thy will be done." Matt. 6:10.
IV. Courage to Carry On
1.
God gives strength to bear the bur-
den. Ps. 55:22.
2.
Ezekiel had courage in time of loss.
Ezek. 24:18.
3.
There is comfort for those who
mourn. Matt. 5:4; Jer. 31:13.
4.
The Lord is nigh the brokenhearted.
Ps. 34:18.
V. Some Day We'll Understand
1.
We see but dimly now. 1 Cor.
13:12.
2.
We prepare for the kingdom. 2 Cor.
4:17; Rom. 8:18.
3.
We know the glory that awaits us.
1 Cor. 2:9.
Key Thought:
The Lifting Power of Jesus.
"God
would not have us remain pressed down by
dumb sorrow, with sore and breaking
hearts. He would have us look up, and be-
hold His dear face of love. The blessed
Saviour stands by many whose eyes are so
blinded by tears that they do not discern
Him. He longs to clasp our hands, to have
us look to Him in simple faith, permitting
Him to guide us. His heart is open to our
griefs, our sorrows, and our trials. He has
loved us with an everlasting love, and with
loving-kindness compassed us about. We
may keep the heart stayed upon Him, and
meditate upon His loving-kindness all the
day. He will lift the soul above the daily
sorrow and perplexity, into a realm of
peace."-Thoughts From the Mount of
Blessing,
pages 25, 26.
THE LESSON
Introduction: Strength to Endure
Sorrow can be a message from God call-
ing the wandering, rebellious individual to
return to the heavenly Father. What is our
response when sorrow comes? Do we find
[ 31 ]
that God is our "Refuge, and underneath
are the everlasting arms," or do we mis-
understand sorrow and defy it?
Men misunderstand suffering and sor-
row when they see in it nothing but punish-
ment. They may feel, "This is what I
deserve for my sins. Now I'm paying the
penalty." Or again they may say, "I'm
having some misfortune." To look upon
sorrow in either of these ways is to fail to
hear God's voice. The loving Father does
not want us to suffer; but when the or-
deal comes, He longs to see us turn to Him
with a humble and contrite heart that we
may learn the spiritual lesson it may
teach us.
The Universal Experience
of Sorrow
1.
What question comes to many
when sorrow and tribulation seem to
overwhelm them? Job 3:20; Jer.
20:18.
2.
How may sorrow affect the
physical condition of the sufferer?
Job 17:7; Prov. 15:13, last part.
NOTE.—"The relation that exists between
the mind and the body is very intimate.
When one is affected, the other sympa-
thizes. The condition of the mind affects
the health to a far greater degree than
many realize. Many of the diseases from
which men suffer are the result of mental
depression. Grief, anxiety, discontent, re-,
morse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break
down the life forces, and to invite decay
and death."—The
Ministry of Healing,
page 241.
3.
What can anguish and sorrow
do to those who are weakened by
their burdens? 2 Cor. 2:7.
NOTE.—"Pain, if sanctified, creates ten-
derness towards others. Alone it may
harden and shut up the man within him-
self, a student of his own nerves and ail-
ments, . . . but; mixed with grace, our
aches and pains are an ointment supplying
the heart, and causing the milk of human
kindness to fill the breast."—The
Biblical
Illustrator,
Hebrews, vol. 2, p. 500.
Reconciled to God's Will
4.
Though death brings sorrow
and grief to all, what comfort has the
Christian in his loss? 1 Thess. 4:13, 14.
NOTE.—"If we are called upon to meet
bereavement, let us accept the bitter cup,
remembering that a Father's hand holds it
to our lips."—The
Ministry of Healing,
page 233.
5.
What sustains the child of God
in the hour of sorrow? Deut. 33:27.
NOTE.—"Underneath are the everlasting
arms;
that is, the almighty power of God
is engaged for the protection and consola-
tion of all that trust in Him, in their great-
est straits and distresses, and under their
heaviest burdens. . . . How low soever the
people of God are at any time brought,
everlasting arms are underneath them to
keep the spirit from sinking, from fainting,
and the faith from failing, even when they
are pressed above measure."—Matthew
Henry,
An Exposition of the Old and New
Testament, vol. 1,
Deuteronomy, p. 883.
6.
In facing suffering and sorrow,
what example did the Saviour give
His followers? John 18:11; Matt.
26:42.
NOTE.—"Few things are easier than to
perceive, to extol the goodness of God,
the bounty of Providence, . . . when all
things go well, when our health, our
spirits, our circumstances, conspire to fill
our hearts with gladness. . . . But this is
not the trial, or the proof [of our submis-
sion to God's will]. . . It is in the cham-
bers of pain, the pressures of infirmity; in
grief,
in
misfortune: through gloom and
horror—that it will be seen, whether we
[ 32 ]
OFTEN THE BEDSIDE OF THE
HOPELESSLY SICK IS THE SUN-
NIEST SPOT IN THE HOUSE.
hold fast our hope, our confidence, our
trust in God; whether this hope and con-
fidence be able to produce in us resigna-
tion, acquiescence, and submission."—The
Biblical Illustrator,
James, page 376.
7.
What is to be our prayer when
darkness and sorrow engulf us? Matt.
6:10.
Courage to Carry On
8.
How may we receive strength to
carry the burden of sorrow? Ps. 55:22.
9.
How did the faithful prophet
Ezekiel face personal loss and sor-
row? Ezek. 24:18.
NOTE.—How touching in simplicity and
submission is Ezekiel's record: "At even
my wife died." The loss and bereavement
came as a shock to the man, for he had
lost "the desire of his eyes." God asked the
prophet to carry on his important mission,
and Ezekiel did not fall under the stroke.
With faith to believe that God's way is
best he carried on in the face of tragic
loss. What a lesson to every sorrowing
soul!
10.
What promise is made to those
who mourn? Matt. 5:4; Jer. 31:13.
11.
What sweet assurance is given
to the brokenhearted? Ps. 38:18.
Someday We'll Understand
12.
Why can we not in this life
grasp the meaning of all the sorrow
and loss that comes to us? 1 Cor.
13:12.
13.
If sorrow and affliction are ac-
cepted in the spirit of Christ, for what
will they prepare us? 2 Cor. 4:17;
Rom. 8:18.
NOTE.—Affiction
here is transmuted
into glory beyond. The humiliating suf-
ferings of life in Christ's service are the
means by which the spirit is purified, de-
veloped, and brought to blossom in the
beauty of Christlikeness. The affliction is
slight
and
momentary
by comparison with
the
glory
which is massive and unfading.
Paul can say this because he does not look
merely to 'the things that are seen but to
the things that are unseen' (vs.
18)."—The
Interpreter's
Bible, vol. 10, pp. 323, 324.
14.
As we face trial and grief, to
what may we look forward by faith?
1 Cor. 2:9.
NOTE.—"Wonderful as the past had been
—and we must remember always that Paul
lived on this side of the crucifixion of Je-
sus—his life was centered in the living
Christ. . . . How foolish of the' Corinthian
Christians to be squabbling about unim-
portant matters when all these rich pros-
pects already guaranteed in their experience
are open to them! How pertinent is the
same thought for our own day and gen-
eration: what a rebuke in particular to
all defeatism and pessimism
!"—The Inter-
preter's Bible, vol.
10, pp. 39, 40.
133]
Suggestion for Meditation
"That sorrow, even the deepest and most
hopeless, has been blessed, no one can deny.
It has taught many a deeper thoughtful-
ness, a truer estimate of the world and its
interests, a more simple trust in God. It
has opened the eyes of many to the suffer-
ings of others, and changed boisterous rude-
ness into tender and delicate sympathy. It
has given many weak ones the oppor-
tunity of demonstrating the nearness and
the strength of Christ, as out of weakness
they have been made strong. Often the suf-
ferer in a home is the most thankful mem-
ber of it. Often the bedside is the sunniest
spot in the house, though the bedridden
one knows that he or she will never be
free again. It is not impossible for a
Christian in everything to give thanks (1
Thess. 5:16-18)."-The
Expositor's Bible,
vol. 6, p. 354.
Lesson 10, for December 4, 1954
Yielding to God's Will
MEMORY VERSE:
"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall
bring it to pass." Ps. 37:5.
STUDY HELP:
"Messages to Young People," pages 151-156.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT
1.
General survey of the lesson.
5.
Ques. 10-12.
2.
Key Thought; Introduction;
6.
Ques. 13; read Study Help.
Ques. 1, 2.
7.
Review the entire lesson; read the
3.
Ques. 3-6.
Suggestion for Meditation.
4.
Ques. 7-9.
Lesson Outline:
I.
Introduction: "Have Thine Own Way"
II. Renouncing Our Selfish Will
1.
The way of death for the disobe-
dient. Prov. 14:12.
2.
God points the way. Isa. 30:20, 21.
3.
To know God's will. Col. 1:9.
III. The Test of Discipleship
1.
The test of doing God's will. Matt.
7:21.
2.
Obeying God's will from the heart.
Eph. 6:6.
3.
Love is manifest in obedience. John
14:23.
IV. Jesus Accepted His Father's Will
1. Jesus did His Father's will. John
4:34; 6:38.
2.
Submission to suffering and death.
Luke
22:42.
3.
Obedience came through suffering.
Phil. 2:8; Heb. 5:8.
V. Ready to Do His Will
1.
Commit our way to God. Ps.
37:5.
2.
In suffering commit our ways to
God. 1 Peter 4:19.
3.
Jesus has overcome the world.
John 16:33.
4.
Obedience brings eternal life.
1 John 2:17.
Key Thought:
A Surrendered Will.
"It
will require
a sacrifice to give yourself to God; but
it is a sacrifice of the lower for the
higher, the earthly for the spiritual, the per-
ishable for the eternal. God does not
f
34]
design that our will should be destroyed;
for it is only through its exercise that we
can accomplish what He would have us do.
Our will is to be yielded to Him, that we
may receive it again, purified and refined,
and so linked in sympathy with the divine
that He can pour through us the tides of
His love and power. However bitter and
painful this surrender may appear to the
willful, wayward heart, yet 'it is profitable
for thee.'
"—Thoughts From the Mount of
Blessing,
pages 96, 97.
THE LESSON
Introduction: "Have Thine
Own Way"
Are we willing to submit our plans to the
divine Architect? Or do we snatch the
blueprints of our life from Him in head-
strong defiance? God "is able to deliver."
Dan. 3:17. He is able to save "to the ut-
termost." Heb. 7:25. He can do more than
"all that 'we ask or think." Eph. 3:20.
This is the .Omnipotent One into whose
hands we commit our ways.
In every prayer we breathe there must
be a willingness on our part to accept the
divine answer. It is our business to find
God's purpose for us. That was Christ's
way. In His prayer which He taught the
disciples is the crucial test: "Thy will be
done in earth, as it is in heaven."
Renouncing Our Selfish Will
1.
What is the end of the way for
those who refuse to know God's will
for their life? Prov. 14:12.
NOTE.—"Whenever men choose their own
way, they place themselves in controversy
with God. They will have no place in the
kingdom of heaven, for they are at war
with the very principles of heaven. In dis-
regarding the will of God, they are placing
themselves on the side of Satan, the enemy
of God and
man."—Thoughts From the
Mount of Blessing,
pages 82, 83.
2.
Through what method does the
heavenly Father sometimes show us
His plan for our lives? Isa. 30:20, 21.
the bread of adversity and the water of
affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide
Himself any more, but your eyes shall see
your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a
word behind you, saying, 'This is the way,
walk in it,' when you turn to the right or
when you turn to the left."—R.S.V.
The heavenly Father is our wonderful
Teacher. Even in times of adversity and
affliction He speaks to us, pointing out the
way we should go. "In offering the prayer
that Christ has given, we surrender our-
selves to the guidance of God, asking Him
to lead us in safe paths. We cannot offer
this prayer in sincerity, and yet decide to
walk in any way of our own choosing. We
shall wait for His hand to lead us, we shall
listen to His voice, saying, 'This is the way;
walk ye in
it.'"—Thoughts From the
Mount of Blessing,
page 171.
3.
What did Paul pray would be
the experience of every Christian in
relation to the will of God? Col. 1:9.
The Test of Discipleship
4.
What did Jesus declare to be the
supreme test of loyalty in His follow-
ers? Matt. 7:21.
5.
What admonition did the apos-
tle Paul give as to our relation to
God's will? Eph. 6:6.
NOTE.—"Through the right exercise of
the will, an entire change may be made in
the life. By yielding up the will to Christ,
NOTE.—"And though the Lord give you we ally ourselves with divine power. We
35
"THE OBEDIENCE THAT
CHRIST
RENDERED,
GOD
REQUIRES
FROM HUMAN BEINGS TODAY."
receive strength from above to hold us
steadfast. A pure and noble life, a life of
victory over appetite and lust, is possible
to every one who will unite his weak,
wavering human will to the omnipotent,
unwavering will of God."—The
Ministry
of Healing,
page 176.
6.
How will the follower of Jesus
manifest his love for his Saviour?
John 14:23.
Jesus Accepted His Father's Will
7.
What did Christ say concerning
His relationship to His Father's will?
John 4:34; 6:38.
NOTE.—"The obedience that Christ ren-
dered, God requires from human beings to-
day. He served His Father with love, in
willingness and freedom. 'I delight to do
Thy will, 0 My God,' He declared; 'yea,
Thy law is within My heart.' Ps. 40:8."—
Christ's Object Lessons,
page 282.
8.
When faced with the anguish
and torture of the cross, how did the
Saviour express His submission to His
Father's will? Luke 22:42.
NoTE.--"Jesus' prayer before the cross
holds the secret of all the Christian life
that has come after the cross, 'Not My will,
but Thine be done.' In the will is the van-
tage point of the good and evil alike.. . .
Unconditional surrender to Him means that
one's will is freed, purified, renewed. . . .
This is no mechanical slavery, or the
cowardly rolling of one's responsibility over
to other shoulders. It is the kind of di-
vine-human co-operation that is imperative
for growth: 'Not My will, but Thine.' As
E. H. Pruden has said: 'When a man is in
tune with Christ, his lips will be saying and
his hands will be doing what Christ wants.'
Here is the highest discipline of the will."
—The Interpreter's Bible, vol.
10, p. 589.
9.
At what cost did the Son of God
learn obedience? Phil. 2:8, Heb. 5:8.
Ready to Do His Will
10.
What promise is given to the
Christian who places himself will-
ingly in the hands of God? Ps. 37:5.
NOTE.—"When we submit ourselves to
Christ, the heart is united with His
LChrist's] heart, the will is merged in His
will, the mind becomes one with His mind,
the thoughts are brought into captivity to
Him; we live His life. This is what it
means to be clothed with the garment of
'His righteousness."—Christ's
Object Les-
sons,
page 312.
11.
What admonition does the
apostle Peter give to those who accept
God's will when faced with the ordeal
of sorrow and suffering? 1 Peter 4:19.
NoTE.—"Therefore let those who suffer
according to God's will do right and en-
trust their souls to a faithful Creator."—
R.S.V.
12.
What encouragement does Je-
sus give us to meet the sorrows and
trials of life? John 16:33.
[ 36 j
13. How is the acceptance of God's
will linked with eternal life? 1 John
2:17.
Suggestion for Meditation
"This will, that forms so important a
factor in the character of man, was at the
Fall given into the control of Satan; and
he has ever since been working in man to
will and to do of his own pleasure, but to
the utter ruin and misery of man. But the
infinite sacrifice of God in giving Jesus, His
beloved Son, to become a sacrifice for sin,
enables Him to say, without violating one
principle of His government: 'Yield your-
self up to Me; give Me that will; take it
from the control of Satan, and I will take
possession of it; then I can work in you to
will and to do of My good pleasure.' When
He gives you the mind of Christ, your will
becomes as His will, and your character is
transformed to be like Christ's character.
. . . There is no such thing as following
Christ unless you refuse to gratify incli-
nation and determine to obey God. It is
not your feelings, your emotions, that
make you a child of God, but the doing
of God's will. A life of usefulness is be-
fore you if your will becomes God's will.
Then you may stand in your God-given
manhood, an example of good works."—
Testimonies, vol.
5, p. 515.
Lesson 11, for December 11, 1954
Comforting Those Who Mourn
MEMORY VERSE:
"The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I
should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wak-
eneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned."
Isa. 50:4.
STUDY HELP:
"The Desire of Ages," pages 478-484.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT
1.
General survey of the lesson.
5.
Ques.
10-12.
2.
Key Thoughts; Introduction;
6.
Ques. 13, 14; read Study Help.
Ques. 1, 2.
7.
Review the entire lesson; read the
3.
Ques. 3-6.
Suggestion for Meditation.
4.
Ques. 7-9.
Lesson Outline:
I.
Introduction: Hope for the Helpless
II. Approaching the Sorrowing
1.
The plight of those without comfort.
Ps. 69:20.
2.
How to become sympathetic. Ezek.
3:15.
3.
Our expression of sympathy. Rom.
12:15.
III. The Sympathy of the Saviour
1.
Hope for the grief-stricken. Luke
7:13.
2.
Compassion for the sick and care-
worn. Matt. 9:36; 14:14.
3.
"Let not your heart be troubled."
John 14:1-3.
4.
How Jesus became one with the
sorrowing. Heb. 4:15.
37
IV. Pointing the Brokenhearted to
Christ
1.
Bear the burdens of the heavy-
laden. Gal. 6:2.
2.
Jesus gives rest. Matt. 11:28, 29.
3.
Serve the Saviour by deeds of love.
Matt. 25:40.
4.
Christians are fitted to comfort
others. 2 Cor. 1:3, 4.
V. A Message of Hope
1.
Have faith in God. Mark 11:22.
2.
Words of comfort for the weary.
Isa. 50:4.
3.
Pray for those in need. James 5:16.
Key Thought:
A Word in Season.
"In all our associ-
ations it should be remembered that in the
experience of others there are chapters
sealed from mortal sight. On the pages of
memory are sad histories that are sacredly
guarded from curious eyes. There stand
registered long, hard battles with trying
circumstances, perhaps troubles in the home
life, that day by day weaken courage, con-
fidence, and faith. Those who are fighting
the battle of life at great odds may be
strengthened and encouraged by little at-
tentions that cost only a loving effort. To
such the strong, helpful grasp of the hand
by a true friend is worth more than gold
or silver. Words of kindness are as welcome
as the smile of angels.
THE LESSON
Introduction: Hope for the
Helpless
For many a sorrowing man or woman
the pattern of life has been shattered. Bro-
ken pieces lie about, and the bereaved lacks
the courage to pick them up and go on
again.
To thoSe who mourn in hopeless despair
we can bring Jesus, "the resurrection, and
the life." We can point them to Jesus, the
mender of broken lives, who will take the
fragments that have been scattered by sin
and sorrow, and re-create a new life. The
Saviour who calmed the storm-tossed Sea
of Galilee can speak peace to the grief-
swept life.
Approaching the Sorrowing
1. How does David describe the
condition of those who have no com-
fort in time of sorrow? Ps. 69:20.
NoTE.—"Through the psalmist the Re-
deemer had prophesied of Himself:
`. . . They gave Me also gall for My
meat;
And in My thirst they gave Me vine-
gar to drink.' . . .
"These portrayals of the bitter suffering
and cruel death of the Promised One, . . .
were rich in promise; for of Him whom 'it
pleased the Lord to bruise,' . . . Jehovah
declared:
`He shall see His seed, He shall prolong
His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in His hand.'"
—Prophets and Kings,
pages 691, 692.
How comforting it is to know that Jesus
went through the deepest agony a human
being can suffer, yet He endured all in or-
der that we might be saved from the pen-
alty of sin.
2.
By what experience did Ezekiel
learn to be sympathetic with those
who were in trouble? Ezek. 3:15.
3.
What are we admonished to do
to express true sympathy for those
who mourn? Rom. 12:15.
The Sympathy of the Saviour
4.
How did Jesus express love and
sympathy for the brokenhearted
widow who had lost her only son?
Luke 7:13.
[ s8]
5.
In what spirit did the Saviour
look upon the multitude of sick and
careworn souls? Matt. 9:36; 14:14.
NOTE.—"When He saw the crowds, He
had compassion for ,them, because they
were harassed and helpless, like sheep with-
out a shepherd." Matt. 9:36, R.S.V.
"How does a crowd affect us? It can
arouse a vague excitement. It can feed our
pride—as in some parades. It can make us
combative. It can quicken blood lust or
some other frenzy. But does it fill us with
compassion? That was its effect on Jesus.
The word translated compassion is actually
a much stronger word: it implies pain of
love. He saw the people of His land as
shepherdless people. They were as if wolves
had harried them and left them bleeding,
because they had none to lead and protect
them."—The
Interpreter's Bible, vol.
7, p.
360.
6.
With what precious promise did
Jesus comfort His sorrowing disci-
ples? John 14:1-3, 16.
NOTE.—"At all times and in all places,
in all sorrows and in all afflictions, when
the outlook seems dark and the future per-
plexing, and we feel helpless and alone, the
Comforter will be sent in answer to the
prayer of faith."—The
Desire of Ages,
pages 669, 670.
7.
Why is Jesus able to be sympa-
thetic with every human being in his
trials and sorrows? Heb. 4:15.
Pointing the Brokenhearted
to Christ
8.
How can the Christian help
those who are burdened with anxiety
and sorrow? Gal. 6:2.
NoTE.—"Kindly words simply spoken,
little attentions simply bestowed, will sweep
TO THE STORM-TOSSED SEA OF
HUMANITY, JESUS SAYS:
"PEACE, BE
STILL!"
away the clouds of temptation and • doubt
that gather over the soul. The true heart
expression of Christlike sympathy, given in
simplicity, has power to open the door of
hearts that need the simple, delicate touch
of the spirit of
Christ."—Testimonies,
vol.
9, p. 30.
9.
To whom may the child of God
point the distressed and sorrowing?
Matt. 11:28, 29.
NOTE.—"Whatever your anxieties and
trials, spread out your case before the
Lord. Your spirit will be braced for en-
durance. The way will be open for you to
disentangle yourself from embarrassment
and difficulty. The weaker and more help-
less you know yourself to be, the stronger
will you become in His strength. The heav-
ier your burdens, the more blessed the rest
in casting them upon your Burden Bearer."
—The Ministry of Healing,
page 72.
10.
When we bring comfort and
help to the needy and sorrowing, for
whom do we truly minister? Matt.
25:40.
NoTE.—"What a oneness Jesus here ex-
presses as existing between Himself and
His suffering disciples! He makes their
39 ]
case His own. He identifies Himself as be-
ing in person the very sufferer. Mark, self-
ish Christian: every neglect of the needy
poor, the orphan, the fatherless, is a neglect
of Jesus in their
person."—Testimonies,
vol.
2, p. 26.
11.
Why is every follower of Christ
particularly qualified to comfort those
who are in affliction? 2 Cor. 1:3, 4.
NOTE.—"`The comfort with which we
ourselves are comforted by God' is there-
fore the only form of comfort which is ef-
fective. Sympathy which merely assures
people that we feel for them can do little.
It may even increase their trouble by com-
municating a sense of our helplessness. It
may feed their self-pity. The true com-
forter is one who can carry to others the
strength of an experience in which God
has given him the victory. This comfort is
of universal application. It applies to all
situations. It speaks to the hearts of peo-
ple
in any affliction.
All troubles find heal-
ing in a right relationship with God, and
in the opening of the mind to His message."
—The Interpreter's Bible, vol.
10, p. 281.
A Message of Hope
12.
What message of Jesus can be
carried to every sorrowing soul who
is weak in faith? Mark 11:22.
13.
If we are filled with God's
Spirit, what may be our daily experi-
ence in bringing comfort to others?
Isa. 50:4.
NOTE.—"Every kind and sympathizing
word spoken to the sorrowful, every act to
relieve the oppressed, and every gift to sup-
ply the necessities of our fellow beings,
given or done with an eye to God's glory,
will result in blessings to the
giver."—Testi-
monies,
vol. 4, p. 56.
14.
How are we to intercede with
our heavenly Father for those who
are in need? James 5:16.
Suggestion for Meditation
"There is a reason why the darkness of
sorrow deepens our affection for one an-
other. The reason is that we are both
more lovable and more loving when sor-
row softens us. When a man is riding high
in unbroken success, we may admire and
applaud him, yet feel little affection for
him. But when adversity knocks him off
his high horse, and he picks himself up,
mellowed in spirit, courageously showing
that he can take it, then our admiration is
enriched by affection. The man is more
lovable."—Ralph W. Sockman,
The Higher
Happiness,
page 51.
Lesson 12, for December 18, 1954
Preparing for the Time of Trouble
MEMORY VERSE:
"Because thou host kept the word
of My patience,
I
also will
keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world,
to try them that dwell upon the earth." Rev.
3:10.
STUDY HELP:
"The Great Controversy," pages 616-634.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT
1.
General survey of the lesson.
5. Ques. 9-12.
2.
Key Thought; Introduction;
6. Ques. 13, 14; read Study Help.
Ques. 1, 2.
7. Review the entire lesson; read the
3.
Ques. 3-5.
Suggestion for Meditation.
4.. Ques. 6-8.
[40
3
Lesson Outline:
I.
Introduction: An "All-Out" Conflict
II.
A 'Time of Great Trouble
1.
When the time of trouble begins.
Pan. 12:1.
2.
A day of distress and destruction.
Joel 1:15; 2:11.
3.
The time of "Jacob's trouble." Jer.
30:5, 7.
Ill. The Door of Mercy Is Closed
1.
Every man's fate is sealed. Rev.
22:11.
2.
A futile search for God's word.
Amos 8:11, 12.
IV. God's People in the Hour of Trial
1.
The promise of protection. Rev.
3:10.
2.
Sheltered from the storm. Ps. 27:5;
91:9, 10.
3.
The armor for the Chistian. Eph.
6:11, 12.
4.
The weapon against eviL'Aph. 6:17.
V. When the Crisis Comas •••
1.
God's people will have.
defense.
Isa. 33:15, 16.
2.
The death decree. Xev. 1`3:15.
VI. God Delivers His Faithful Ones
1.
Waiting for Christ's coming. Isa.
25:9.
2.
Coming out of great tribulation.
Rev. 7:13, 14.
3.
Receiving the blessings of heaven.
Rev. 7:16, 17.
Key Thought:
Wrestling With God.
"It was an hour
of fearful, terrible agony to the saints.
Day and night they cried unto God for de-
liverance. To outward appearance, there
was no possibility of their escape. The
wicked had already begun to triumph, cry-
ing out, 'Why doesn't your God deliver you
out of our hands? 'Why don't you go up,
and save your lives?' But the saints heeded
them not. Like Jacob, they were wrestling
with God. The angels longed to deliver
them, but they must wait a little longer;
the people of God must drink of the cup,
and be baptized with the baptism."-Early
Writings,
pages 283, 284.
THE L
Introduction: An "All-Out"
Conflict
Soldiers of the cross will be called upon
to face an "all-out" war against the forces
of evil that seek to destroy the soul. This
is not .a time when Christians can be con-
tent with half-hearted measures for spir-
itual defense. God has warned that "the
devil is come down unto you, having great
wrath, because he knoweth that he hath
but a short time." Rev. 12:12.
The question for every soldier of the
cross to face is, "Am I prepared to meet
my Captain when He returns?" The rem-
nant people will endure the testing and
trial because they are established upon
God's word. They will possess patience
and the faith of Jesus.
A Time of Great Trouble
1. When does the time of trouble
begin? Dan. 12:1.
ESSON
NoTE.-"When Christ shall cease His
work as Mediator in man's behalf, then
this time of trouble will begin. Then the
case of every soul will have been decided,
and there will be no atoning blood to
cleanse from
sin."-Patriarchs and Proph-
ets,
page 201.
•
2.
How does the prophet Joel de-
scribe the day of the Lord? Joel 1:15;
2:11.
3.
What does Jeremiah call the
period of distress and trial that will
come on the earth? Jer. 30:5, 7.
NOTE.
-"Jacob's
experience during that
night of wrestling and anguish represents
the trial through which the people of God
[ 41 ]
must pass just before Christ's second com-
ing. . . . As Jacob was threatened with
death by his angry brother, so the people
of God will be in peril from the wicked
who are seeking to destroy them. And as
the patriarch wrestled all night for de-
liverance from the hand of Esau, so the
righteous will cry to God day and night
for deliverance from the enemies that stir-
round
them."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 201.
The Door of Mercy Is Closed
4.
What divine proclamation is
given at that time concerning man's
fate? Rev. 22:11.
NOTE.—"When Jesus leaves His position
as man's Intercessor before God, the solemn
announcement is made, 'He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still; and he which is
filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that
is righteous, let him be righteous still; and
he that is holy, let him be holy still.' Then
the restraining Spirit of God is withdrawn
from the
earth."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 201.
5.
In the day of trouble for what
will men search in vain? Amos
8:11, 12.
God's People in the Hour
of Trial
6.
When God's people must stand
alone in the crisis, what promise will
be fulfilled for them? Rev. 3:10.
NOTE. —"Though God's people will be
surrounded by enemies who are bent upon
their destruction, yet the anguish which
they suffer is not a dread of persecution
for the truth's sake; they fear that every
sin has not been repented of, and that
through some fault in themselves they will
42
IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE
OUR
ONLY WEAPON IS THE SWORD
OF THE SPIRIT.
fail to realize the fulfillment of the Sav-
iour's promise, 'I will keep thee from the
hour of tetnptation, which shall come upon
all the Aiorld.'
"—The Great Controversy,
page 619.1
7.
HOw will God intervene to save
His faithful Ames in the time of Ja-
cob's trouble? Ps. 27:5; 91:9, 10.
NOTE.—"The Lord permits conflicts, to
prepare the soul for peace. The time of
trouble is a fearful ordeal for God's peo-
ple; but it is the time for every true be-
liever to look up, and by faith he may see
the bow of promise encircling
him."—The
Great Controversy,
page 633.
8.
What spiritual equipment will
enable us to stand in the time of trou-
ble? Eph. 6:11, 12.
9.
What weapon will help us in
our fight against evil? Eph. 6:17.
Nora.—"The sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God," will be the strength
of every Christian in the darkest hours that
shall come to this earth. "Only those who
have been diligent students of the Scrip-
tures, and who have received the love of
the truth, will be shielded from the power-
ful delusion that takes the world captive.
By the Bible testimony these will detect
the deceiver in his disguise. To all, the test-
ing time will come. By the sifting of temp-
tation, the genuine Christian will be re-
vealed. Are the people of God now so
firmly established upon His word that they
would not yield to the evidence of their
senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling
to the Bible, and the Bible
only?"—The
Great Controversy,
page 625.
' When the Crisis Comes
10.
When famine and distress
sweep over the earth, what loving
care will the Lord have for His faith-
ful ones? Isa. 33:15, 16.
NOTE.—"The people of God will not be
free from suffering; but while persecuted
and distressed, while they endure priva-
tion, and suffer for want of food, they will
not be left to perish. That God who cared
for Elijah, will not pass by one of His self-
sacrificing children. He who numbers the
hairs of their head, will care for them; and
in time of famine they shall be satisfied.
While the wicked are dying from hunger
and pestilence, angels will shield the right-
eous, and supply their wants."—The
Great
Controversy,
page 629.
11.
What decree against God's peo-
ple will be issued by the enemies of
truth? Rev. 13:15.
NorE.—"A decree went forth to slay the
saints, which caused them to cry day and
night for deliverance. This was the time
of Jacob's trouble."—Life
Sketches,
page
117.
"When the protection of human laws
shall be withdrawn from those who honor
the law of God, there will be, in different
lands, a simultaneous movement for their
destruction. As the time appointed in the
decree draws near, the people will conspire
to root out the hated sect. It will be de-
termined to strike in one night a decisive
blow, which shall utterly silence the voice
of dissent and reproof."—The
Great Con-
troversy,
page 635.
God Delivers His Faithful Ones
12.
As the faithful remnant look
up in the darkness and • see Jesus com-
ing in power and glory, what do they
say? Isa. 25:9.
13.
What words of praise are given
to those who have stood steadfast for.
God in the time of trouble? Rev.
7:13, 14.
NOTE.—"In all ages the Saviour's chosen
have been educated and disciplined in the
school of trial. They walked in narrow
paths on earth;' they were purified in the
furnance of affliction. For Jesus' sake they
endured opposition, hatred, calumny. They
followed Him through conflicts sore; they
endured self-denial and experienced bitter
disappointments. By their own painful
experience they learned the evil of sin, its
power, its guilt, its woe; and they look
upon it with abhorrence. . . . Having
been partakers of Christ's sufferings, they
are fitted to be partakers with Him of His
glory."—The
Great Controversy,
pages 649,
650.
14.
What glorious promise is given
to the redeemed concerning the end
of all sorrow and suffering? Rev.
7:16, 17.
Suggestion for Meditation
"To us who are standing on the very
verge of their fulfillment, of what deep
moment, what living interest, are these
delineations of the things to come,—events
for which, since our first parents turned
their steps from Eden, God's children have
watched and waited, longed and prayed!"
—Education,
page 183.
[ 43 ]
Lesson 13, for December 25, 1954
When Sorrow and Suffering End
MEMORY VERSE:
"And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion
with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and
gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isa. 35:10.
STUDY HELP:
"The Great Controversy," pages 662-678.
DAILY STUDY ASSIGNMENT
1.
General survey of the lesson.
5.
2. Key Thought; Introduction;
6.
Ques.
1, 2.
7.
3.
Ques. 3-5.
4.
Ques. 6-8.
Ques. 9-12.
Ques. 13, 14; read Study Help.
Review the entire lesson; read the
Suggestion for Meditation.
Lesson Outline:
I. Introduction: Homesick for Heaven
II. God's World of Tomorrow
1.
A city is prepared. Heb. 11:16.
2.
A promised new heaven and earth.
2 Peter 3:13.
3.
A new creation. Isa. 65:17.
III. The End of Heartaches and Tears
1.
We shall see His face. Rev. 22:4.
2.
Disease, pain, and death are ended.
Rev. 21:4.
3.
There shall be no more crying. Isa.
65:19.
4.
There shall be no night there. Rev.
21:23, 25.
IV. Peace and Security for Evermore
1.
The redeemed will be secure. Isa.
65:21, 22.
2.
A land of peace and rest. Isa. 32:18;
60:18.
3.
A land where sickness is unknown.
Isa. 33:24; 35:5, 6.
V. The Land of Beginning Again
1. Sin cannot enter. Rev. 21:27.
2.
Our citizenship is changed. Col.
1:12, 13.
3.
Obedience required to enter God's
kingdom. Rev. 22:14.
4.
The promise of eternal happiness.
Isa. 35:10.
Key Thought:
Perplexities
Will End.
"There are
homes for the pilgrims of earth. There are
robes for the righteous, with crowns of
glory and palms of victory. All that has
perplexed us in the providences of God will
in the world to come be made plain. The
things hard to be understood will then find
explanation. The mysteries of grace will
unfold before us. Where our finite minds
discovered only confusion and broken
promises, we shall see the most perfect and
beautiful harmony. We shall know that
infinite love ordered the experiences that
seemed most trying. As we realize the ten-
der care of Him who makes all things
work together for our good, we shall re-
joice with joy unspeakable and full of
glory."-Testimonies,
vol. 9, p. 286.
THE LESSON
Introduction: Homesick for Heaven
Men of God through the ages have been
homesick for that better land beyond the
reach of sin, suffering, and death. The
heroes of faith in the eleventh chapter of
Hebrews-sometimes called the Westmin-
ster Abbey of the Bible-were not satisfied
[44)
Holy City with unfading light. The re-
deemed walk in the sunless glory of per-
petual
day."—The Great Controversy,
page 676.
Peace and Security for Evermore
8.
What promise of eternal secu-
rity is given to the dwellers in the
new earth? Isa. 65:21, 22.
9.
In contrast to the ravages of
war and strife suffered by millions
today, what will be their experience
in that new land? Isa. 32:18; 60:18.
10.
What will be the physical con-
dition of all who enjoy God's king-
dom? Isa. 33:24; 35:5, 6.
The Land of Beginning Again
11.
How can we be certain that the
curse of sin shall not again appear to
mar God's plan? Rev. 21:27.
NOTE.—"The nations of the saved will
know no other law than the law of heaven."
--Prophets and Kings,
page 732.
12.
For what wonderful change of
citizenship may every Christian give
thanks? Col. 1:12, 13.
NoTE.—"Giving thanks to the Father,
who has qualified us to share in the inherit-
ance of the saints in light. He has de-
livered us from the dominion of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of His
beloved Son."—R.S.V. translation of Col.
1:12, 13.
13.
What is the requirement for
citizenship in the kingdom of God?
Rev. 22:14.
14.
Beyond the trial and sorrow
of this life, what glorious promise
will be fulfilled? Isa. 35:10.
NorE.—"The conflict is over. Tribulation
and strife are at an end. Songs of victory
fill all heaven as the ransomed ones take
up the joyful strain, Worthy, worthy is the
Lamb that was slain, and lives again, a
triumphant conqueror."—The
Acts of the
Apostles,
page 602.
Suggestion for Meditation
"The great controversy is ended. Sin
and sinners are no more. The entire uni-
verse is clean. One pulse of harmony and
gladness beats through the vast creation.
From Him who created all, flow life and
light and gladness, throughout the realms of
illimitable space. From the minutest atom
to the greatest world, all things, animate
and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty
and perfect joy, declare that God is love."
—The Great Controversy,
page 678..
The senior "Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly" is published in
the following foreign languages: Bohemian, Danish-Norwegian,
German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovakian,
Spanish, Swedish, Ukrainian, and Yugoslavian. Write to the Inter-
national Branch of the Pacific Press at Brookfield, Illinois, for any
of these quarterlies for the strangers within your gates.
[46]
THIRTEENTH SABBATH OFFERING
December 25, 1954—Taiwan (Formosa)
The Thirteenth Sabbath Offering overflow of the fourth quarter, 1954,
will help in establishing the first Seventh-day Adventist sanitarium-hospital
on the island of Taiwan (Formosa). It is hoped that the honest in heart who
come for physical healing to this institution will feel the evangelizing influ-
ence of the gospel and will be drawn to the Saviour.
A number of former workers in China have taken up work among the
people of Taiwan, and a strong work is going forward through•the Voice
of Prophecy Bible correspondence courses and other lines of work. Those
who have labored long years in the Orient have shouldered the burden in this
land of opportunity. They are earnestly laboring here for the twelve million
people of the island, who are mainly Chinese. They are looking to Sabbath-
school members round the world to give them a helping hand, through the
Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, in building their much-needed sanitarium-
hospital.
LESSONS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1955
Sabbath-school members who have failed to receive a senior
Lesson Quarterly
for the
first quarter of next year will be helped by the following outline in studying the first les-
son. They will thus be able to follow the daily study of the lesson.
The general topic of the lessons is "Lessons From the Miracles of Jesus." The first les-
son is entitled "Faith at a Wedding Feast." The memory verse is John 2:5. The study help
is
The Desire of Ages,
pages 144-153. The texts to be studied are:
Ques. 1. John 2:1 (first part), 2.
Ques. 2. John 2:1, last part.
Ques. 3. John 1:40, 41, 43, 45.
Ques. 4. John 2:3.
Ques. 5. John 2:4.
Ques. 6. John 7:3-8, 30; 8:20.
Ques. 7. John 2:5.
Ques. 8. John 2:6, 7.
Ques. 9. John 2:8.
Ques. 10. John 2:9, 10.
Ques. 11. John 2:11, first part.
Ques. 12. John 2:11, last part.
[ 47 ]
HSINCHU
l
"
1-
49s
Formosa
(TAIWAN/
•TAICHUNG
MAKUN4
PESCADORES
ISLANDS
•
SOUTH CHINA ISLAND UNION MISSION
POPULATION
CHURCHES
CH. MEM.
S.S. MEN.
HONG KONG—MACAO MISSION 3,000,000
6
739
1.157
TAIWAN MISSION
8,600000
5
376
1.115
UNION TOTALS
11,600,000
II
1,115
2272
CANTON
t
KOWLOON
ONG KONG
MACAU
SOUTH CHINA SEA